Lord and restore the tribes of Israel And 44.16 Enoch was translated into Paradise that he might give repentance unto the Gentiles Matt. 17.11 Helias shall come restore all things And Rev. 11.3 I will give to my two witnesses c. Secondly by the authoritie of Fathers as Hilarie Hierom Origen Chrisostom Lactantius and Austin who affirm that the two witnesses are Henoch and Elias who shall come against Antichrist Thirdlie by reason because otherwise a reason cannot be given why these two were taken up before their death and yet live a mortall life and must dy at an appointed time But verely that in Luk. The Papistical fable refuted 16.29 doth plainely contradict this fable for Abraham shewes that none are to be exspected to come from heaven and preach unto the world but that Moses and the Prophets are to be heard This whole text also touching the martyrdom of the two witnesses with the events that follow therupon doth strongly make against this fiction For how unlikely is it that those two holy men who were taken up into heaven live with God should againe return into this mortal life to be cruelly murdered by the beast And how should it be that their carkeises lying in the streets of the great city should be seen in the space of three dayes a halfe of all peoples nations tribes tongues what shal all the whole world in so short a time flie like Eagles to Ierusalem to behold two carkeises And how shall they all rejoyce send gifts to each other in three dayes time How can two onely within fourty two moneths by their prophesie torment the inhabitants of the whole earth certainly the thing it self speaketh that this place cannot nor ought to be understood according to the Letter And therefore there is some other mysterie in it which Hierom seeing thus writes in Epist. 46. to MARCELLA if saith he we follow the litteral interpretation then we must rest in the Jewish fables that Jerusalem shal be built again and sacrifices offered in the temple to the weakning of spiritual worship and strengthening of carnal ceremonies To the first I answer that the scriptures alledged make nothing at all for the matter Bellarmins arguments answered For the prophesie of Malachie speakes not of a returne of Elias out of Paradise but of John the Baptists preaching in the power and spirit of Elias for so the Angel interprets it to Zacharie Luk. 1.17 He shall goe before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the harts of the fathers to the children c. So Christ himself speaking of John Matt. 11.14 saith If yee will receive it hee is Elias which was to come namely according to the prophesie in Malach. 4.5 teaching us how that prophesie was fulfilled in Iohn the Baptist Bellarmin insists on the contrarie that Elias is to come before Christs last comming For it is said I send him before that great and terrible day of the Lord shall come But this is not of necessity to be understood of the last day of judgement because the first comming of Christ was also great by the mysterie of his incarnation and miracles and terrible to the wicked witnesse Herods and the Iewes trembling But be it granted that Elias shall also come before the last day Yet Malachie saith not that he shall precisely come three yeeres an half before the judgement The former place of Ecclesiasticus makes lesse for the fable both because it is aprocrypha and so proves nothing as also because the Latine reading is faultie as differing from all Greek copies Of Elias it is said Chap. 48.10 Thou art written for reproofes in times to pacifie the anger of Gods judgement in wrath to turn the heart of the father to the child and restore the tribes of Israel The which things he is said to have done not after his translation into heaven of which it followeth afterward in vers 13. but in the time of his prophesying on earth The other place of Ecclus 44.16 is thus in Greek Henoch pleased the Lord and was translated beeing appointed an example of repentance unto the Nations But the old version thus renders it falsly that he might give repentance unto the nations Now while he lived he was an example of repentance unto those of his time The place of Matt. 17.11 doth manifestly speak of the Baptist For Christ there plainlie affirmes that Elias was alreadie come to wit the Baptist whom they acknowledged not but put to death That which goes before Elias indeed shall first come and restore all things doth not make any thing for the fable but the place confirmeth Malachies prophesie that is as Elias was certainlie to come so now he was already come and that the same prophesie was fulfilled in the Baptist It was the opinion of the Scribes that Elias the Thesbite should come before the Messias who because he was not as yet then come therefore they denied Christ to be Messias But Christ declares the false hood of their opinion because not Elias the Thesbite but John the Baptist was prophesied of by Malachie But the Baptist did not restore all things how then is he Elias yea but he did restore all things according to the limitation of Malachie and the Angel in Luk. 1. For he prepared the way of the Lord turned the hearts of the fathers unto the children c. The opinion of the Fathers without the scriptures proves nothing neither do the fathers agree in one some will have the two witnesses to be Elias and Henoch Others Elias Elisha Others Elias Moses Others Moses and Aaron because they turned the waters into blood Others Elias and Jeremie Now if any desire to know more of the dissentions both of the old and latter writers about these witnesses Vestigat p. 578. he may read in Alcasar foure wayes of opinions The FIRST way saith he is interpreted of two men beeing to preach in Antichrists time The SECOND of Antichrists time indeed but not of two men The THIRD of two men but not of Antichrists time To be short the fourth neyther of two men nor of Antichrists time Againe every of these wayes are devided as it were into diverse divisions of Pathes and other things there following Hee himself goes in the fourth way the worst and falsest of all The two witnesses he makes to be two great vertues WISDOM and HOLINESSE as preachers of the Gospel in the primitive Church against the Iewes which new opinion needs no refuting seeing it is manifest that here mention is made not of qualities but men preaching against the Beast or Antichrist They who will have these to be precisely understood of two men would have had more shew of reason in applying the same to Iehoshua Zerubbabel seeing they two Zach. 4.3 are called two Olive-trees two candlesticks unto which these two witnesses are here likened ver 4. To his reason I answer that it is
thousands of his sealed ones from beeing hurt by him of whom should consist the true Church of God This part of the chapter is opposed to the earthquake and Antichristian confusions praefigured in the third Act treated of in Chap. 6. v. 12.13.14 with which cohereth that which here followes concerning the four Angels and sealing of the elect in their fore-heads In the latter part is represented the future state of the blessed martyrs and other faithfull ones in heaven even as many as in this life have made white their robes in the blood of the Lambe This part is opposed to the horrible cryes and torments of the wicked treated of Chap. 6. v. 15.16.17 In this Chapter therefore the third fourth Act of the second vision is fully ended and the whole Chapter is consolatorie both for the Church militant in the former part and for the triumphant in the latter These things thus premised the rest following will bee the more cleare The fourth Act of vision II. The first part of the Chapter Of the restraint of the four Angels and of them that were marked with the seale of God under Antichrist 1. And after these things I saw foure Angels standing on the foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the earth that the winde should not blow on the earth nor on the sea nor on any tree 2. And I saw another Angel ascending from the East having the seale of the living God and he cryed with a loude voyce to the foure Angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea 3. Saying Hurt not the earth neither the sea nor the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God in their fore-heads 4. And I heard the number of them which were sealed and there were sealed an hundred and fourty and foure thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel 5. Of the tribe of Iuda were sealed twelve thousand Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand 6. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand Of the tribe of Nephthali were sealed twelve thousand Of the tribe of Mâ—â—â—sses were sealed twelve thousand 7. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand 8. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand Of the tribe of Ioseph were sealed twelve thousand Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand THE COMMENTARIE ANd after these things Now John rehearseth what he further saw in the sixt seale beeing contrarie to the former as containing joyfull matter He saw before what Antichrist and his ministers had don and what at length they suffered for the same Here he sees what in the mean time was don by the godly on earth what was laid up for them in heaven Now herein interpreters doe verie much differ and for the most part doe rather darken then explain the matter in not observing the method and scope thereof Lyra goes on in applying these things unto the histories of the Romane Emperours Lyras opinion of the four Angels The four Angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the earth he interprets of four Emperours great persecutors of the Christians who after Diocletian and Maximianus had laid downe the Empire afflicted the Church in many parts of the world at one time Maximianus in the East Severus in Italie Maxentius at Rome Licinius of Alexandria in Aegypt these held the windes that is hindered the teachers of the Church that they should not blow that is preach Gods word for as by the blowing of the windes the earth is made fruitfull so the preaching of the Gospell fructifyeth the garden of the Church militant By the earth sea and treeâ— he understands Christians some dwelling in firme lands some in Ilands others in woods for to avoyd persecution The Angel having the seal of God forbidding to hurt the earth and sea is Constantine the great bearing the signe of the crosse in his ensigne and restraining those four tyrants from hurting of Christians For Constantine at length overcame Maxentius Licinius and other their fellow tyrants and having obtained the empire alone he signed many thousand in the forehead that is beeing converted unto the faith of Christ he bestowed many great priviledges upon the Church signed many thousands that is caused them to be baptised with the signe of the crosse on their foreheads This interpretation I thus far approve of What is approvable in Lyras interpretation namely that the windes signifie preachers and the blowing of the windes Gods word preached and the holding of the windes the hindring of Gospell in the course thereof But for his application of the rest unto the short space of those four tyrants it agrees little to the scope seeing those things were to happen a long while after under Antichrist as appeareth by the circumstances and as the comparing of these things with the following visions will more clearly manifest Besides hee erreth in making Constantine this sealing Angel forasmuch as undoubtedlie the outward signe of the crosse is not here at all intended but a higher mysterie concerning the preservation of the elect and their separation from the abominations of Antichrist least they should be defiled thereby as will more plainly appear by the matter following Rupertus refers this unto the four kingdoms of the world hindring the faith of Christ viz. the Babylonian Persian Greek Romane Empires but this is too general Andreas herein agreeing with most of our interpreters doth more rightlie applie it to the times of Antichrist to which Ribera also consenteth but yet in this he erreth viz. in that he thinks that the following contents of this booke are to be applyed to the four yeares reigne of his supposed Antichrist For generally the following visions doe plainlie represent the foregoing four Acts of the history of the Church from Iohns time even unto the end under other figures he also differeth from al others in taking these to be good Angels which are here spoken of wheras all others agree that they are evill Angels Notwithstanding in this they doe generallie erre thorow an erroneous supposition in restraining the time of Antichrist unto the last four yeeres of the world considering that Antichrist hath allreadie reigned above a thousand yeares even from Boniface the third who as we have already shewed was the first that professed himself universall priest leaving unto his successors this most wicked title and mark of Antichrist But to let passe these mens opinions we here take notice of a second part of the third Act of vision II. wherein Iohn is informed of the state of the godlie during the earthquakes and Antichristian commotions For having seen before things horrible and prodigious even a violent alteration of all states of the Christian world under
may be acceptable in the sight of God And anoint thine eyes with eye salve This is opposed to their fourth evil of blindnes Eye salve Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which physitians call the dregges wherout an oyntment is strayned helping the blearednesse of the eyes He commands them to aske of God the illumination of his spirit by which their darke harts may be inlightned and stirred up unto the true knowledge and love of God through faith that so seeing their owne miserie and Christs benefits they might cease to be blinde 19 As many as I love I rebuke This fift part of the narration or exhortation to repentance is mixed with comfort least that heavy foregoing sentence I will spue thee out of my mouth might have occasioned them to cast of all hope of pardon as thinking that now there was no more remedie for them But Christ teacheth them that this sharpe reproofe proceeds not from any hatred but from his love towards them and to the end that they might repent hee beeing herein like unto a father who more severely punisheth that childe whom he best loveth The words are taken out of Prov. 3.12 and againe repeated Heb. 12.5 where we have given the meaning of them Whom I love I rebuke As if he should say for thy good I rebuke thy hypocrisy and indeed there is great need thou shouldest be sharpely reproved that so I may shew how greatly I love thee And chasten For stubborne children must be kept downe by the rod. And therfore thou mayest not thinke by hypocrisy or lukewarmnes to escape the crosse Here we may note the difference between the afflictions of the godlie and of the wicked The godlie are chastised like children but the wicked are judged and condemned to hell This is the first reason of the following exhortation beeing as it were a token of his love towards them Be Zealous therefore and repent Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza be fervent he requireth fervencie and zeale of faith and sincerity in signe of true repentance for their former hypocrisie and lukewarmnes For he is said to be truely zealous who is fervent in that which is good Gal. 4.18 It may also be understood transitively that is be a Zealous follower of thy fellow teachers of Philadelphia Smyrna and others who walke faithfully before me Moreover seeing lukewarme hypocrites are here called upon to repent we are taught that no true repentance comes ever to late 20 Behold J stand at th◠doore and knock The other reason of his exhortation is taken from the effects of his love namely pardon and grace to all that repent before he recompared himself to a Marchant and Phisitian freely selling the marchandises and salves of salvation Here he likens himself to a rich way faring man entring in to them that open unto him and vouchsaving to feast with them By which allegory he testifyeth his philantropy as using al maner of wayes meanes for our salvation And this is the last part of the narration beeing a promise of pardon and grace directed not onely to these of Laodicea but unto all that hearken unto the heavenly vocation Behold this particle is added to stirre up our eares and hearts unto the more attention He saith not I come or I sit but I stand at the door hereby signifying his continuall presence and daylie care for our salvation I stand at the door like as a stranger who doth not presently goe away but if the door be not opened at his first knocking yet still standeth and knocketh untill the same be opened unto him The door here signifyes our heart which by nature is shut hard and stonie excluding God and Christ but in v. 8. it is taken in another signification as we have there shewed Now Christ knocketh and bids us open unto him diverse wayes 1. He knocketh outwardly by the preaching of the law threatning destructiō if we open not 2. By the preaching of the Gospel promising pardon of sin and all kind of heavenly blessing unto them that open unto him 3. By laying the crosse of afflictions on them that delay And lastly he knocks inwardlie by his spirit illuminating our blinde hearts and minds making us in some measure to see and know him who is life eternall and so openeth the door of our hearts by making us willing to receive and entertaine him Thus he opened the understanding of the Apostles Luk. 24.45 Act. 16 14 that they might understand the scriptures and the heart of Lydia that shee attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul If any man hear my voyce and open Having shewed by what means he outwardlie works our repentance and salvation he now comes to that which is to be don by us that is to hear and hearken unto his knock or call to open the door that he may enter in Outwardly we hear Christs knocking when we attend upon the word preached by his ministers and inwardlie when by faith we embrace the same We open unto him when we savingly applie the promises of the Gospel for then Christ with all his benefits enters into our hearts and dwelleth in us when by true obedience we consecrate our selves as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto him And in deed happie are they that thus worke out their owne salvation for Christ will not leave them but perfect that which he hath begun to their eternal comfort as here he promiseth I will come in to him and sup with him Now he sheweth what he will doe for them that hear his knocke to the end we might open the more willingly and readily unto him Three excellent mercies are here promised 1 He will come in to us 2 sup with us and 3 receive us to sup with him First he saith I will come in to him that is he will with the Father and holy Ghost dwell in our hearts by faith Io. 14.23 as it is written Jf any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him Serm. 144. de Temp. A dignitie far greater then if an earthly king should be pleased to dwel with us and make our house his pallace Jt is more saith Austin to have Christ in the hart then in the house for our hart is nearer to us then our house Hence we are called the temples of God and of the holie Ghost and of Christ who by his spirit dwelleth in us XXV Argument of Chr. Deity and wee in him Which againe clearely proveth the Godhead of Christ And I will sup with him This is a second benefit Christ sups with us when by faith he makes us partakers of the word and sacraments takes away our sins covers our infirmities and meekly stoopes to our weake capasitie As when some great monarch comes into the cottage of a poor man How Christ is said to sup with us not disdaining to sup with him
with the Dragon doe altogether belong to Antichrists time But I thinke I can move here a far more difficult question A more difficult question about the woman that is whither this woman flying into the wildernes be not the same whom Iohn saw in the wildernes sitting on the scarlet coloured Beast or another of all which questions I wil speak a few things As for the first The Monkish fable touching Maries assumption is not hence proved This Vision makes nothing for the establishing of the Monkish dreames and pictures of the virgine Maries corporall assumption into heaven and placing her on the Throne of the Trinitie her beeing queen of heaven and so clothed as the woman here appeared to Iohn These are mere apocriphal fictions and contradictorie to Christian relegion Yea themselves also confesse that this type doth not in many things agree with their fables This woman is a type of the Churches birth under the New Testament alluding to the history of Christ beeing borne of the virgin Mary for the historie of Christs comming in the flesh doth partly literally partly allegorically very wel represent the future condition of the Church This woman brought forth a man childe A historical comparing of this type with Marie and Christ Mat. 2.13 so in the fulnes of time God sent his son made of a woman Gal. 4.4 The Dragon layes wait for the womans child so Herod the tyrant sought to kill Christ as soon as he was born The Woman with Eagles wings flyes into the wildernes so Mary being admonished of God fled with the child into the deserts of Aegypt The Woman was there sustained and kept 1260 dayes so Mary remained in Aegypt neer four yeeres untill the death of Herod The Dragon cast forth a flood of waters after the Woman to devour her So Herod after Maries flight murdered all the infants of Bethlehem of two yeeres old and upward that among them he might slay the womans child To be shortt the childe of the woman was caught up into heaven unto the throne of God and made the feeder ruler of all nations so Christ having finished the worke of our redemption ascended into heaven is set down on the throne of the Father having all power in heaven and in earth These things are now represented unto John not as historical seeing he was no way ignorant of them neither as things to come to passe afterward seeing they were already don but as types of future things mystically setting forth the future condition of the Church in this life For as the virgine Marie once brought forth Christ corporally so the Church continually as it were in travaile brings him forth in his members spiritually Se Gal. 4.19 Herod persecuted Mary with her child so that old Dragon by tyrants other enemies shal persecute the Church with her members The allegory of the Church Christs birth of the virgine Mary flying from the tyrant withdrew herself out of the sight of the adversaries yet she still had a beeing and was preserved and nourished in the deserts of Aegypt untill her return so the Church shunning Antichrist withdrew herself out of the eyes of the world yet had she a continuance still and was nourished and preserved in the wildernes of the world untill the measuring of the temple Christ the son of the woman being taken up into heaven was set on the throne of God so the faithfull at length shal be taken up into heaven and reign with Christ So that this type doth excellently represent the historie both of the birth of Christ and of the Church The woman represents Mary The child taken up into heaven Christ The Dragon persecuting the woman Herod the tyrant the taking up of the child unto Throne of God Christs ascention into heaven his sitting at the right hand of his Father Notwithstanding in a mystical sense which onely is intended in this prophetical Vision the woman is the Church the child of the woman her seed are the faithfull of all ages the Dragon is the Devill and all other persecuting tyrants of the Church Why the Church is represented under the type of a woman Furthermore it is not unusuall in scripture to compare both the true and false Church unto a woman as in Isai 54.1 it is said unto the true Church rejoyce O barren thou which didst not bear for more are the children of the desolate then of the married wife and Mica 7.8 the true Church saith to the false rejoyce not against me O mine enemie because I fall for I shall arise c. Hence generally the Church is called the spouse of Christ a chast and undefiled virgin so Chap. 19.7 she is called the wife and spouse of the Lambe The reason she is so called is both her spiritual marriage with Christ her bridegrome as also the weaknes of that sex for the Church being like unto a weak woman hath no humane strength to subsist of herself On the contrarie the Church of malignant men is compared to an adulterous woman Ierem. 3.1 to a whore and most impure harlot Ezech. 16. Reve. 17.18 Thus we se what this woman is I hope by this time Riberas first question is fully answered Now I come to his second question In what state the Church is here represented he rightly denies that the Church is represented in the first state or as it was before the comming of Christ although some doe thinke that there is an allusion unto Eve our first mother betwixt whose seed and the serpents God put enmity in the beginning but this is without al ground Neither was Iohn to be informed of the state of the ancient synagogue but of the condition of the new Church Now the other two things which he affirmeth are not true One that the state of the Church at Christs comming is not here spoken of for we have shewed the contrarie because the woman in travaile of Christ corporally was a type of the Church beeing in travaile with Christ spiritually The other that he refers the event of this type unto the last times of his feined Antichrist who shal never come As if the woman were not already long agoe fled into the wildernes persecuted by the Dragon in her flight as shall appeare more evidently by that which followes Lastly unto the third question viz. whither this woman flying into the wildernesse be the same that sate on the Beast Chap. 17. I say that she is and is not the which I thus manifest It is plaine that the woman represents the Church Now the Church by a diverse signification is taken eyther for the Church of the first begotten Heb. 12.22 which universally comprehends all the elect before and under the law Lib. 4. Epist 38. as also under the Gospel as Gregory affirmeth and this is the Catholick Church mentioned in the Creed or for the Church of the called which in the New
the following verse onely such are said to be blessed who have part in the first Resurrection of which we shall there speak Seventhly from the same verse If the First Resurrection were corporall and proper to Martyrs then all the dead at the last Day should bee raised unto the second death or unto eternall damnation none of them unto life eternall But the latter is false and contrary to Scripture Ioh. 5.24 Dan. 12.2 c. Therefore the former also The consequence of the Major is grounded on the following Verse where the Second or Eternall Death is said to have power onely over them that have no part in the First Resurrection as there wee shall see Lastly in the same Verse it is said that they onely shall be Priests of God and of Christ which have part in the first Resurrection as shall be shewed Whence againe it would follow that the Martyrs onely should be the Priests of God and of Christ in case that the first Resurrection were corporall and proper to Martyrs But Peter teacheth the contrary 1. Pet. 2.5.9 And Iohn Rev. 1.6 c. These things I suppose may satisfie the Godlie minded and such as are not contentious unto which I will onely adde this one thing touching the Etymologie of the First Resurrection that as the first death is so called because it first seazed on man Why the first Resurrection is so called according to the soule as soon as he had sinned so the first Resurrection is so called because it first vivified man according to the Soule as soone as he repented by hearing the promise in Paradise Or also which comes all to one thing because it is the vivification of the first or more noble part that is of the soule as also because it is wrought in the First that is in this naturall life and lastly because it must goe before the Second resurrection which shall be the resurrection of the bodyes to glory or if the first went not before unto condemnation Here I could adde the Authorities of ancient Divines But it 's needlesse Let Augustine suffice for all the rest who most diligently searched into this prophesie The first Resurrection saith he most truely is to Grace the second to Glorie Lib. 20. de Civ Dei C. 7.18 Him Ribera unjustly reproveth restraining the First Resurrection unto the immortality of soules that the Martyrs though esteemed as if they had utterly perished yet according to their better part they live Then which nothing is more unsavoury for in this hee attributes nothing more to Martyrs then to the worshippers of the Beast who themselves also after the death of their bodies lived in their better part and yet never lived in the first Resurrection Objections against the First Spirituall Resurrection cleared IT remaineth that I briefly answer the Objections of the Chiliasts about their Corporall Resurrection of the Martyrs OBJECT I. That which falleth not neither dyeth is not raised again The soules fall not neither dye but the bodies Therefore the First Resurrection is not of soules but of bodies Austine moving this cavill denyes the minor Lib. 20. de C. D. cap. 10. Rom 14.4 1. Cor. 10.4 Ephe. 2.2 Mat. 8.22 that soules fall not nor rise againe dye not nor live againe For it is said He standeth or falleth to his own Master When ye were dead in sinnes Let the dead bury their dead which things are certainely spoken not of the fall or death of the body but of the soule The soule of man therefore fell through sinne and lies dead in sinne liveth againe through Faith and riseth againe by repentance Therefore there is a Resurrection of the Soules also but not the Second for this shall be of the Bodie Therefore the First Object II. The Soules of Martyrs lived againe either in respect of themselves or in respect of their bodies or in respect of other men who professed the same Doctrine But they lived not againe in respect of themselves because they were never dead Neither in respect of other men because it would follow that the rest of the dead should likewise live againe which is false Therefore they lived againe in respect of their owne bodies I answer I do not well understand whether this be in earnest or in jest The whole is so frivolous and hangs no more together then if they should say The Soules flie either in respect of themselves or in respect of their bodies or in respect of other men c. Not in respect of themselves because they have no wings neither in respect of other men because they also should flie which is false Therefore in respect of their bodies The Hypothesis is false the distribution vaine and lame the consequence nothing for this is wanting or they flie in no respect So here the consequence is to be denyed because they take up a falsehood viz. that the soules did live again for in the Text it is said they lived not that they lived againe Hence the distribution is vaine and imperfect for a fourth is wanting viz. that the Soules lived not againe in any respect to wit corporally which is the Question here in hand For a false attribute divideth not but overthrowes the subject by its falsitie neither is it truely affirmed of the same but denyed Adde that the first clause with the reason thereof is ambiguous for howsoever soules dye not neither live againe in respect of themselves that is in respect of their essence yet they do dye and live againe in respect of themselves that is in respect of Grace and Salvation as hath been shewed The other is superfluous and figurative For no man liveth againe in respect of others except metaphorically as for example A father liveth again in his children in likenesse of nature and manners The two Witnesses Chap. 11.11 lived againe in their Successours in likenesse of doctrine And therefore in this also is an aequivocation or ambiguitie The third which is concluded is also a figurative Synecdoche or is false For as properly not the Soules but the Martyrs were dead in respect of their bodies so properly not the soules but Martyrs shall live againe in respect of their bodies at the last day Therefore ingeniously and without Sophistrie the Object should thus have bin formed The Martyrs lived againe either in respect of their soules or in respect of their bodies Not in regard of their soules therefore in respect of their bodies But thus also the whole major is false the minor ambiguous the Consequence nothing for then the Martyrs lived not againe but lived according to their Soules but they shall live at the last day according to their bodies Therefore properly there are as many faults as words Ob. III. From the Antithesis ver 4. ver 5. If the word LIVED in the former part of the Antithesis must be understood of a Spirituall Resurrection then by the like reason the words LIVED AGAINE in the latter clause must be understood