and terrible day of he Lord shall doe at the accomplishment of this prophecie Ans Wher the darknesse of the Sun and so iâ— may be understood of the Moone is used properly it is not put only for a signe of an eminent and imminent destruction as it is manifest Luk. 23 45. which wes a testimonie from heaven of Christs innocencie for conviction of the murtherers and c. 21.25 the signes in the Sun and Moone and in the Starres and the distresse of nationes upon the earth with perplexitie and the roaring of the Sea and waves ar all to be understood properly as signes before the great and terrible daye of the Lord. So what is promised in the 28 and 29 verses of the second ch of Ioel wes truely albeit not altogeder fulfilled in the dayes of Peter even howbeit the wordes of the 30 and 31 verses be properly understood and not wholly fulfilled till the time immediatly preceding the last coming of Christ Inst 2 The chief and most remarkable effect of the Spirit in the Apostles at this tyme wes the gift of tounges of which the prophet makes no mention Ans 1 If this exception wer true it wold prove that the Apostle citeth the wordes inpertinently and the Iewes micht have challenged him of babling and so these authoures fight against the Apostle and the Spirit of God who hes registred this argumentation of the Apostle as good and valide 2 the chieff and most remarkable work of the Spirit at that tyme wes a sound from heaven as of a michty rushing wind which filled all the house and there appeared unto them cloven tounges lyk as of fire and it sate upon each of them and they wer all silled with the holy Ghost and this wes noised abroad Wherby it is evident that the Apostle speakes especially not only of the effect which is their speaking in strange languages bot of the cause the powring doun of the Spirit of which Ioel speakes expressely and therfor Peter citeth the wordes pertinently Inst 3 as the prophet reveled so Peter repeates this powring out of the Spirit as a contemporarie event with the wonders which shal be shewne in the heavens and in the earth before the great and terrible day of the Lord come which day can no way be referred to the first coming of Christ when he came to save sinners and not to destroy them for then it must been an antecedent of his birth and not a subsequent of his death Ans 1 Ioel sayth not that the powring of the Spirit shall not be till the great and terrible day of the Lord come bot he shewes so many thinges preceding the coming of our Saviour nether may we think that all these thinges shal be fulfilled in the same juncture of tyme if all be accomplished even in several tymes the prophecie abides true 2 That day or tyme wes terrible for it is written Act. 2.6 the multitude came togeder and wer confounded or troubled in mynd because that everie man heard them in his oun language and they wer all amazed and mervelled and v. 22 a man approved among yow by miracles wonders and signes Wherby it is manifest that even to the sicht of these Iewes that tyme of Christs coming wes terrible albeit his second coming shal be more terrible in regard of the general destruction which shal be on all nationes not for opposing themselves against the Jewes as they imagine bot for their not acknowledging God and not obeying the Gospell of our Lord Iesus 2 Thess 1.8 Inst 4 And to put it out of dout that Gods bringing doun the heathen into the valley of Iehosaphat is meant only of this gathering them togeder to a battle and consequently of a judgement on the living and not on the dead to put this out of dout I say the prophet makes it to be a concomitant of the Iewes returne from their captivitie Ans That these wordes ar not meaned of the temporall Monarchie after Christs coming it may be learned by the parallel text in that same page wher it is sayd And for my own part I am persuaded that this great armie here spoken of is the verie same that shal be gathered together to the battle of the great day of God Almichtie by the thrie uncleane spirites lyk frogges which St Iohn sawe come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the false prophet Rev. 16.13 If he be persuaded that this is the same battle he micht lykwise be persuaded that the text of Ioel 3. is not after the coming of Christ nor immediatly at his coming for that battle is in the tyme of the sixt vial after which followes another vial and tyme of trouble mentlioned in the rest of that ch of the Revel And here by the way we observe that the renouned Authour of Clavis Apocaliptica is mistaken in his seventh Synchronisme wherin he sayth that the powring furth of the seven viales is contemporarie with the end of the Beast and Babylon for albeit it be sayd c. 15.2 that they who had gotten the victorie over the Beast sang the song of Moses it followes not that the Beast wes then destroyed nether albeit the first and fift and last viales be powred on the Beast followeth it that they wer not powred till the last tyme of the destruction of the Beast Seing the Saintes in heaven and on earth too may rejoyce for their particulare victorie over the Beast as yet reigning and the viales may be powred on the Beast at several times even some of them on the Beast in the hight of her pride to the end that men may have warninges of the judgementes of God on the Beast in her greatest pompe And the rather may we judge so that we find such aggriement in the principal termes of the seven Trumpets and seven viales the second Trumpet with the second vial the thrid Trumpet with the thrid vial the fourth Trumpet with the fourth vial the sixt Trumpet with the sixt vial and the seventh Trumpet with the seventh vial Now seing the first Trumpet is of the same tyme with the beginning of the Beast as he sayth Synchron 1 par 2. the first vial must be of that same tyme also and all the other Synchronismes and expositiones of textes that ar grounded on that seventh Synchronisme of the first part ar wrong Which I mark because these late Millenaries have been moved by the appearance of these Synchronismes to embrace this opinions 2 We may be persuaded that the gathering of the nationes Joel 3.2 is not to be understood of a batle after the coming or at the coming of Christ if we consider the wordes of the first verse For behold in these dayes and in that tyme c. He kniteth this ch with the preceding and shewes the contentes of both to be at the same time which is not any particulare yeer or age bot comprehendes the whole deliverance of Israel or people of
it away and therfor I micht leave these probabilities as not worthie of reading or answer nevertheles consider them Pag. 3 First because the authoures of this demand wer not babes either in yeers or understanding bot the Apostles themselves men who had followed our Saviour men to whom he had shewed himself after his passion and speaking to them of the thinges pertaining unto the kingdom of God And yet that these men should nou at their last conference with him be mistaken in a mater of such importance is as I believe and as I think you will all say a thing altogeder unlykly Ans 1. It is unlykly they could be mistaken and therfor it is lykly that they understood of the true kingdom of Israel as Christ did 2 And nevertheles seing after that last conference they wer mistaken in a mater of great evidence so many tymes foretold as the calling of the gentiles it is not unlykly that before Christs ascension they micht been miscaried with that opinion of the Iewish monarchie which was not a new opinion invented nor vented by the Apostles Pag. ead A second reason which makes mee distaste the censure here cast on our Apostles is because our Saviours answer is alleged as a sufficient ground for it wheras it will appear even to a weak judgement by that his answer the Apostels opinion is as much established as their curiositie is reprehended c. Ans This cause is a mistaking as if the question wer granted for albeit they did mean so yet Christs wordes have nothing of that point bot only taxeth the disciples of their curiositie and therfor the partaphrase following in this reason is vain Pag. 4. Another reason which makes for our Apostles is the answer our Saviour gave to the sones of Zebedee when they besought him that they micht site one on his richt-hand and the other on his lest in his kingdome or as Mark paraphraseth it in his glorie Yee know not what ye ask sayes he this reproof you will grant goes nearer to the quick than that before used to the Apostles and yet if yee mark what followes you shall find that the mater of the petition is allowed of and only the motives therof condemned and therfor seing this is all that these two wer rebooked for by such a sharp reply how can we mistrust that more than this should be included in a milder answer Ans These two spak of Christs kingdom in his glorie and therfor we may justly think that they meaned of his greatest glorie or of his kingdom in heaven and not of an earthly kingdome 2 if Christ in his answer had spoken of an earthly kingdome how wes it not in his power to choise his princes in that kingdome and seing they wer only taxed for their ambition unadvisednesse concerning the glorious kingdome of Christ and the Apostles wer taxed for their curiositie concerning the particulare time of that kingdome how shall we mistrust that they understood any other kingdome Pag. 5 That which seemes to me clearly to quite our Apostles from errour though not from obliuion from errour I say in the subject though not in the circumstance in the thing demanded though not in the season of its performance is because I find my text to be a lesson read to them by our Saviour before his passion For speaking of the destruction of the Iewes they shall fall sayd he by the edge of the sword Luk. 21.24 and v. 28. having before shewne what signes should immediatly foregoe his appearing he left them this cordial When these thinges beginne to come to passe then look up and lift up your heades for your redemption drawes nigh Behold here the casting away of Gods people for a time which we see at this day verified and their receiving again for ever which shall all certanly come to passe as planely foretold the redemption I say not only of their soul es bot consequently of their bodies too from their general captivitie to the repossessing of their countrie by a miracalous deliverance for if no more should be meant by the word Redemption bot the meer conversion of the Iewes in these places wher now they live it can not be conceived why this action should be accompanied with such wonderfull tokens and perplexitit of all nationes as is here mentioned c. Ans Who being richt in his witt will learne of that one word Redemption that the Iewes shall have an earthly kingdome over all nationes Our Saviour is not speaking there of an earthly kingdome nor of the Iewes conversion bot as he speakes and expones himself v. 31. knowe yee that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand and this is a mater of greater encouragement than any eartly kingdome can be unto spiritually mynded persones and therfor when they wrestle against the understanding of the Jewes conversion in these wordes they feight against their own fansies Now if they can not find clearer textes in the New Te. for this earthly monarchie everie understanding Christian will reject the misapplying of the prophetes seing everie ground of faith is reveled more clearly in the New T. than in the old Nevertheles let us hear the particulare proofes Pag. 6 The first is Mic. 5.13 What I pray is meant hereby smiting the Iudge of Israel bot the crucifying of Christ and what by untill the time that she that travelleth hath brought furth bot the whol time of the surrogated gentiles vocation And on the margine he sayth for proof To this interpretation of the prophecie suiting so well with our Saviours sufferinges the verie nixt verse which shewes the place wher Christ the ruler of Israel should be borne doeth to my thinking directly lead us Ans To the thinking of any judicious reader the wordes of the same verse may lead us unto another interpretation for he is speaking there not of the doinges of the Jewes bot of their enemies whom he calleth doughter of troupes and he shewes what these enemies shall doe they shall gather themselves in troupes and lay siedge against us sayth the prophet that is the Iewes and they shall smit the Iudge of Israel upon the cheek which is a proverbial phrase as ps 3.8 and signifieth to intreate shamefully Now seing the prophet speakes thereof the enemies laying siedge against the Iewes and smiting their Judge these wordes can not be under stood of the smiting of Christ albeit it be true that the lewes did smit him in the second v. he confortes the Iewes against the fear of that calamitie with a promise of a more powerfull Ruler Then by her that travelleth v. 3. the same prophet gives us to understand another thing than the calling of the gentiles c. 4.10 Be in paine and labour to bring furth O doughter of Sion lyk a woman in travell And who may not think that the same prophet repeting the same wordes in the same prophecie understandeth the same persones that is the Jewes and not the gentiles
never be taken away seing the church on earth is alwayes a mixte companie yet certanly it is taken away from the Iewes and all the nationes towit so many of them as turne unto the Lord which ar so many as the starres of heaven that is innumerable to men for the grace of God that bringes salvation hes appeared unto all men Tit. 2,11 and God who hes commanded the licht to shine out of darknesse â—ath shined in our hearts to give the licht of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christ So writes a Iew unto the gentiles 2. Cor 4.6 Inst. 4. I know no reason why we should give more credite to the metaphorical interpretation of these prophecies than to the figurative exposition which some presume to put upon these wordes Zach. 12.10 although S. Iohn c. 19.37 hes alleged them as the only cause that our Saviours side wes peirced of which fact doutlesse ther had been no necessitie if the prophecie wer not to be understood in a literal sense c. Ans 1. He useth here Rhetorical termes but certanly it can not be conceived by his wordes whither he takes them properly or improperly bot we give no other interpretation of the prophecies than be literal that is chiefly intended as he confesseth pag. 37.2 The Euangelist shewes that prophecie of Zacharie to be properly fulfilled in that parte that the sides of our Saviour wer peirced and no interpreter sayth that the rest of that prophecie wes fulfilled at that instant but we may justly think that many of them who consented unto his death did mourne for that their fault seing our Saviour prayed unto his Father to forgive them Luk. 23.34 and the same Euangelist beareth witnes that they who had crucified him wer at the preaching of Peter pricked in their heartes Act. 2.23.37 Wherby we conceive that that prophecie wes not fulfilled in the disciples nether in respect of the peircing his sides nor of looking to him at that time for they all fled away excep Iohn but in the Iewes who indeed by wicked handes did crucifie him and looked upon him and afterwards did mourne for him as one who mourneth for his only sone and the mourning wes great when 3000 wer together pricked in their hearts Now consider whither this exposition be more consonante unto these wordes of the Prophet or that other werby it is alledged that all the Iewes who did not see him peirced shall after so many hunder yeers mourne for their fathers cruel and malicious contriuance the former is fulfilled in the same persones within the space of seven or eicht weekes and the other is not of the same persones nether within the space of 1600 yeers if at any tyme it shal be verified Inst 5. It is sayd there They shall mourne everie familie a part and their wyfes apart Ans It is sayd v. 11. ther shal be a great mourning in Ierusalem and v. 12 and the land shall mourne everie familie apart c. wherby is intimated a distinction of the mourning in respect of place and as thy did mourne at Ierusalem publikly so we may easily conceive that these who had resorted at these publik feastes unto Ierusalem did lykwyse mourne apart after their returning and wer not contented with one dayes mourning all factes that ar verie credible ar not written And therfor as this prophecie doeth concerne the Iewes bot not only seing even the gentiles may be sayd to have peirced his sides by their sines meritoriously and to look on him by faith and mourne for their guiltynesse c. and chiefly the persones that crucified their Saviour So doutlesse it is great impudence to affirme that the same Prophet c. 14.5 9 verses sayth Christ shall descend unto the Iewes to restore their kingdome for ther is not one word of restoring nor of the Iewes kingdome in these two verses Pag. 40. And this much of the felicitie of that remnant of the nationes who shall out live the rest at the Iewes returne now a word or two of the alteration of the sensitive and senselesse creatures at that time Esa 11.6 the Wolve shall dwell with the Lambe c. â— 65 the Wolve and the Lambe shall feed together c. Wher we may observe aganst such as understand by these expressiones the effectes of preaching on the heartes of cruel mynded men that they ar a part of these prophecies which concerne the Iewish deliverance and therfor can have no relation to the calling of the gentiles Ans As we have nothing as yet of the felicitie of the nationes at that imagined time so these ensuing prophecies make nothing to that purpose for in Esa 11.10 immediatly after the forecited wordes it is sayd In that day ther shal be a root of Iesse which shall stand up for an ensigne of the people to it shall the gentiles seek c. Marke 1 he sayth In that day so he conioyneth the preceding and following thinges in to the same time 2. he speakes expressely of the calling of the gentiles as it is also cited Rom. 15.12 3. in the wordes preceding v. 1. he speakes of the first coming of Christ a rod shall come furth out of the stemme of Jesse and a branche shall grow out of his rooles 4. in the wordes following that testimonie he speakes of the calling of the Iewes and gentiles together as wes exponed before And therfor this Prophecie concerneth not the Jewish Monarchie and these wordes may be better exponed allegorically than properly Inst. Is ther no destruction in all the Christian world that we should flatter our selves with such vaine fancies or rather when wes their none c. Ans Albeit this Author will not give glorie unto God in fulfilling his promises yet we see that others at not so ingrate as Act. 9.31 then hade the Churches rest throghout all Iudea and Galile and Samaâ—…a and in other tymes we find that the Christianes hade their halcyonian dayes twixt these ten great persecutiones and afterwards in the dayes of Christian Emperoures and godly Kinges 2. Nether doe the Prophetes or Revelation speaking of these tymes say Ther shall never be hurt nor shall ever man destroy ane another bot rather the propertie of the Church in this world is to be militante and nevertheles Wolves and Lyones forsake their cruelty in the persone of many convertes And therfor these hyperbolical complaintes micht wee l been spared 3. It does puzle the Authour that Esaie sayth c. 11.9 For the earth shal be full of the knowledge of the Lord and therfor he fancieth a private conceit for exponing these wordes of which he gives no reasoun bot we have given sufficient reasounes for the allegoricall interpretation which is confirmed by these wordes towit that the aboundance of the knowledge of the Lord is the cause why wicked men leave their wickednesse and adjoyne themselves unto the meek of the earth as our Saviour sayth Mat. 10.16 I send
which he spak these Wordes Verily I say unto yow Heerafter shall yow see the heavens open and the angels ascending and descending upon the Sone of man Ans That these wordes shal be fulfilled or have been fulfilled it is most certane and it is al 's certane that they shall never be fulfilled in the proper acceptation of the words seing the bodie of Christ is not so tale as that it shal reach from heaven to earth for this cause some as Cyrill on this place have exponed unto for upon in this sense as if the heavens wer open the angels shall come doun and ascend unto my service so doeth Chrysostome apply these wordes to the angels ministring unto Christ in tyme of his passion and resurrection Others think it to be an exposition of that vision of Iacob Gen. 28 wherby wes signifyed that Christ is the Mediatour making way twixt heaven and earth Col. 1.20 and these expositiones for the mater doe aggrie with other Scriptures Inst That this may be fulfilled it is requisite that he be on earth whither these messingers may descend unto him and from whence again they may ascend Which argues too his continowance heer for a greater space of tyme than the judgement of the dead requires Ans A poor proof for as it is requisite that he be on earth whither that these messingers may descend unto him so I may say it is requisite that he be in heaven whence they may descend on him and whither they may ascend to him and so taking the wordes in that sense they may be fulfilled albeit he never wer on earth even as they may be fulfilled when he is on earth and not in heaven but according to the first exposition he wes on earth when they wer fulfilled farlesse is his continowance on earth necessarie for these wordes Pag. ead Although it be sayd that Christ shall reigne over the house of Iacob for ever and that of his kingdome shal be no end yet it is not meaned that he shall alwayes reigne as man or that the earthly Ierusalem the place of his throne as man shall alwayes stand Ans They will change the signification of the wordes when they please and so far as it makes for their purpose and no more but when they shall prove by Scripture that the earthly Ierusalem shal be the place of Christs throne we may aggrie on the exposition of the words for ever and shal be no end and till that be shewen I omitte further enquirie of them but as yet we have seen nether necessarie consequence nor evident expression for it Followes another point that the restauration of Ierusalem and resurrection shall concurre Pag. 6. Yow see that when our Saviour comes to reigne over all the earth he comes not alone bot bringes all the saintes with him Ans Wee see nether that he shall come to reigne after that maner over all the earth nether that he shall bring all his saintes with him and for this last point he alledges no text of Scripture but will have it to be taken on his bare word which we refuse to doe Wee read that when he shall come to judge he shall bring all the holy angels with him Mat. 25.31 and all nationes shal be gathered before him and that he shall send his angels to gather the elect from the four windes but that they shal come with him into an earthly monarchie we find no wher And nevertheles as if it wer unquestionable he addeth Which wordes as they doe establiso the lideral sense of the first resurrection mentionet Rev. 20 so they make the kingdome of Israel and the 1000 yeers reigne of the saintes to Synchronize and meet together for why shall the samtes come with him but because they have a share in this kingdome and ar to be his assistentes in it as he told his Disciples Ans The first resurrection of bodies importeth a second resurrection and so eiher these who ryse shall die again and rise again at the second resurrection or they who shall rise at the first shall not die at all and others shall rise again at the second resurrection This Authour makes it no wher manifest which of these two he holdeth and Mr. Archer holdeth the first opinion but neither of them hes any warrant from Scripture and the testimonies that ar cited here on the margine shew that ther shall not be such a resurrection of the richteous for it is sayd Luk. 20.35 they who shal be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead nether marrie nor ar given in marriage nether can they die any more for they ar equal unto the Angels being the children of the resurrection If they can die no more and be equal unto the Angels then they shall not rise at a second resurrection nether shall bey live an earthly lyf which in the best degrie is inferiour unto the lyf of the Angels Ioh. 6,39 This is the Fathers will that of all that he hes given mee I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day and v. 44. No man can come unto mee excep the Father who hes sent mee draw him and I will raise him at the last day If the last day be the day of the generall judgement as certainly it is even supponing the temporal Monarchie for 1000 yeers and the elect shal not be raised til the last day as these wordes imply then ther shall not be a first second resurrection unles the second resurrection be after the last day and consequently ther not being a resurrection of the children of God till the last day the first resurrection mentioned Rev. 20 can not be understood of the bodies but rather a rising from sin wherof mention is made Eph. 5.14 and Col. 3.1 He cites also Phil. 3.11 If by any meanes I micht attain unto the resurrection of the dead These wordes name the dead generally and make nothing for a first and second resurrection bot v. 20 it is sayd Our conversation or freedome is in heaven whence also we look for the Saviour who shall change our vile bodie that it may be lyke unto his glorious bodie If the freedome POLITTVMA of the godly be in heaven then they expect not a Monarchie on earth and if the bodies shal be lyke unto his glorious bodie they shall not live an earthly lyf nor die again He quoteth 1 Thess 3.13 and c. 4.14 c. but the first hes nothing of a second resurrection and c. 4.14 sayth Wee shal be ever with the Lord towit in another maner than nou nou by grace and then in glorie If we shal be ever with the Lord then we shall not die again and rise again unlesse the Lord die too which I think they will not say Lastly he cites Ezek. 37,12,13 which wordes certanly ar allegoricall and shew the returne of the Jewes from their captivitie not withstanding the extremitie of their miserie and