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
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
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
reign but far off from being accomplished They do not so much as hurt or straiten any as you boldly though without ground affirmed but are quickly destroyed And it 's well known such Attempts may be made in a Nation as late Experience hath shewn and yet the Attempters never come to reign which is the Life you speak of viz. Reigning As for the other Branch in this Argument of yours viz. And of Souls only that were beheaded it is your next or second Argument and therefore I shall not at present take notice of it Arg. 2 Because if we are to understand a bodily Resurrection of the Saints Martyrs only being here mentioned and beheaded Martyrs too taking in no other Saints and only such too that suffered under Antichrist then will Christ have but a small Kingdom And then only such Martyrs partaking of the first Resurrection are to share of Happiness and Freedom from the second Death excluding all but such both from Happiness and Exemption from such a Curse contrary to the Analogy of Faith and the whole Current of Scripture For what by such Doctrine will become of all the Saints from Abel to this time that were not Martyrs under Antichrist Answer What a wonderful Stir is here made of just nothing as if this was altogether contrary to the Analogy of Faith and the whole Current of Scripture when in truth 't is not at all For first Pray consider Will not this like your former Argument make as much against your self May we not ask the Question What will become of all the rest of the Saints that shall not be beheaded and yet shall be found alive when the Kingdom is set up Must they have no share with the rest Certainly this is contrary to the Analogy of Faith and the whole Current of Scripture c. Sir Could you be ignorant of the Fallacy of this Argument when you made it Did you not know that by a Synechdoche a Part might be put for the Whole in this Case also viz. Beheading for all Afflictions Is it not common in Scripture so to do Is it not said Matth. 10.38 Luke 14.27 Whosoever doth not take up and bear his Cross cannot be my Disciple and is not worthy of me Now tell me do all Christ's Disciples take up a Cross 'T is evident the Cross is here put for all Afflictions Again Is not the Reproach of Christ put for all Afflictions Heb. 11.26 And is it not said of all the Faithful Rom. 8.3 that they are killed all the day long accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter But what need I spend time thus but for the sake of others for pray read your 58th 59th and 60th Pages and see whether you have not said the same in effect in your answering an Objection which is as follows Object But why must the Church be included under these Terms or Characters Of Souls beheaded that would not worship the Beast Answer Your Answer is Because it may more emphatically and significantly hold forth the State they are raised from and raised to c. Thus you grant the whole Church then is included under these Terms and also the Reason of it Then you further tell us The divers Afflictions they suffered were represented by the various Characters the Church is set forth in this Book as may be seen at large in those Pages Therefore look into your own Glass and behold the Folly of this Argument If the Apostle judged that Man to be happy that condemns not himself in that thing which he alloweth â—â—m 14.22 what think you of that Man that condemns others in that thing which he alloweth himself But before I pass this Argument I will open another Glass whereby you and all others may more clearly see the Vanity of this Argument Whereas you question since Martyrs only being here mentioned and beheaded Martyrs too and only such too that suffered under Antichrist taking in no other Saints what will become of all the Saints from Abel to this time that were not Martyrs under Antichrist concluding hereupon that Christ will have but a small Kingdom viz. none but Martyrs and such Martyrs too and worse still and that all the rest are hereby excluded from Happiness and Exemption from such a Curse viz. the second Death Affirming more expresly in your 8th Argument upon this Doctrine of the Corporal Resurrection in this Text that Martyrs only shall be happy and all the rest viz. Saints shall be raised to the second Death Now to remove this Absurdity which you have thus drawn upon this Doctrine you so much oppose viz. of the Corporal Resurrection in this Text I will shew you that there shall be more than these Martyrs share in this Happiness i.e. of reigning with Christ this thousand Years First Negatively Let it be well observed the Text doth not say That all Persons which have not a Part in this first Resurrection shall be hurt of the second Death neither doth any Text in the whole Book of God affirm such a thing All that this Text saith is this That the rest of the Dead lived not again until the thousand Years were fulfilled and that those are blessed which have a part in the first Resurrection Nor can there be any good Reason shewed for such an Inference though you boldly affirm there may as I shall more fully shew anon when I come to answer what you say in your ninth Argument But Secondly Affirmatively Take a full view of the Text once more and I doubt not but you may see unless your Eyes be closed that there 's more than only Martyrs viz. such Martyrs c. shall have a part in the first Resurrection and reign with Christ this thousand Years and that you may the better see it I will read the Text for you Rev. 20.4 6. And I John saw Thrones and they sat upon them and Judgment was given unto them And I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus c. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand Years Blessed and Holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection c. Now taking it for granted that you have fully viewed and well observed this Text I ask these few Questions Quest First Did John at this time see any more save Martyrs rise from the dead sitting upon Thrones judging and reigning with Christ You answer upon this Doctrine Answer St. John saw no more but Martyrs risen from the dead sitting upon Thrones judging and reigning with Christ Quest 2 Who then are those which St. John tells us first He saw sitting upon Thrones and to whom Judgment was given I presume upon serious Thoughts you will not say these were the Martyrs for the Martyrs are distinguished from them by these words And I saw The common Phrase used for Distinction in this Book Quest 3 Who then Was it the Father and the Son If you say it was as I think you will not then