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
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
Days increasing and prevailed upon the Earth one hundred and fifty Days before they began to abate but were not dried up till twelve Months were compleated c. Again whereas you say That Work of Christ's Personal Coming shall be done at the Sounding of a Trumpet c. What then the Question may be how long the Trumpet shall sound Surely you will not upon second Thoughts say no longer than the Twinkling of an Eye for that 's no Sounding at all But again Where find you that any thing save the Coming of Christ and the Resurrection Change and Ascension of Saints shall be at the Sound of a Trumpet and yet surely you will conclude there 's something more to be done when Christ comes Again You say the Work that Christ shall do at his Personal Coming will be done in the Twinkling of an Eye But pray what Work else besides the Change of Saints I find no other nor any body else for me The Text that speaks of this for there is no other that I can find viz. of something done then in the Twinkling of any Eye is 1 Cor. 15.51 52. which speaks so plain of the Change of Saints only to be in the Twinkling of an Eye that unless the Reader 's Eyes twinkle and that greatly too when he beholds the Text he cannot lightly be mistaken You also tell us The Execution upon the Enemies will be sudden and speedy like Lightning at the Personal Coming of Christ But how you came to know this I much question Mat. 24.27 Luke 17.24 since I find no Text in holy Writ reveals it True it is the Coming of our Lord is compared to Lightning but then it ought to be observed 't is not in respect of the Swiftness of it but in respect of the Visibleness of it But again admit it had what 's this to the Question which is concerning the Destruction of the Enemies Again You further add As a Snare c. I grant it But what 's this to the Question for Ensnaring and Destroying are two things Do you not know many Creatures are taken or ensnared suddenly but not destroyed so quickly Thus you may see how you deceive your self and others in such an ambiguous Manner Arg. 5 Neither can Christ's Personal Appearing be at this time because then it must be supposed that Christ being in the Camp of the Saints and beloved City shall suffer Himself and all the glorious Angels and glorified Saints to be besieged and straitned by the Gog. Magog Army Therefore must this be done by his virtual Presence Power and Spirit though spoken as if he did it in Person and these great Conquests effected c. Answer O God! What is it that Men will not stretch at to maintain their own Fancies In your Book you give us an Instance of Maton which you commend viz. Whatsoever Text of Scripture is expounded any other ways than God meant by it it is according to its Interpretation the Word of Man and not of God and consequently in adhering to such Interpretations we believe not what God saith but what Man doth make him say How much you have fulfilled this Man's Sentence in Expounding this Scripture contrary to what God meant by it let all judg and let your Tongue or Pen condemn you for pray read the Text and see whether there be any such thing in it or at all like unto it The Text is Rev. 20.7 8 9 10. And when the thousand Years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his Prison and shall go out to deceive the Nations which are in the four Quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battel the Number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea And they went up on the Breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about and the beloved City and Fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone where the Beast and the false Prophet are and shall be tormented Day and Night for ever and ever Now I will appeal to any judicious and unbiassed Man whether here be any Suffering and Straitning in this Man's Sense to Christ or his Angels and Saints You may as well say Christ now suffers in Heaven and yet this must pass for an Argument Thus I have done with the five first Arguments which you have laid down to prove That Christ comes not in Person at the beginning of the thousand Years Reign and therefore there must be as you conclude a thousand Years reigning before his Personal Coming Let the Arguments and Answers be compared and then judg In the next place I shall consider your eleven Arguments of the second sort upon the latter part of the 4th Verse of the 20th Chapter of the Revelation i. e. these words And I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the Witness of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast neither his Image neither had received his Mark upon their Foreheads or in their Hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand Years Upon which words say you all this Opinion or Discourse of yours is grounded See your large Sheet When you have told us the great Difference of Writers and Commentators hereon some judging it to be a Corporal Resurrection others a Spiritual viz. A renewing and reviving of the Soul the Effects of Christ's Spirit upon the Hearts of Bevers c. p. 47. Then you tell us That it is humbly conceived the Mind of the Spirit is here a Mystical Resurrection or Civil Life that they are said to live as most consonant to Truth as you say sound Reason and the Scope of the Place they lived And as you more largely speak p. 61 62. This Life is a reigning State both of the one and the other and the contrary viz. Death a dethroned scattered imprisoned and captivated State The Dead that lived not Where you shew us by the direct Antithesis That this Life and Death of the one and the other is the same viz. That the Saints now are dead the other now alive the Saints shall then live and the Wicked then be dead viz. in the thousand Years After the thousand Years the Wicked shall live again and the Saints then die again according to the former Distinction For say you They must take their turns as the one goes up viz. to the Throne the other goes down They viz. the Wicked are not to live again till the thousand Years be finished implying say you That when the Dragon is loosed there will then be a Military Power and Jurisdiction at least that they viz. the Wicked may live too Again in opposition unto Christ and the Saints in their encompassing the Camp of the Saints and beloved City which their viz. of the Wicked said raised State makes good You tell us further That Living and Dying