body to which it was united is re-instaâ—ed in another body But Helias is to come not from a departing out of this life by death but from his Translation neither is he to be restored to the body from which he was never exempted but to the world from whence he was translated not by a returning from death to life but by supplement of the prophesie the very same man and he himselfe of his owne name and humane nature When Tertullian saith THEIR Metempsychosis he means the Philosophers to whom he wrote that booke and in particular the Pythagorean Philosophers whom in the context of the fore-cited place hee mentions * Quod dixit Dominus Heli as quidem venturus est re stituit omnia id est eos quos persecutio Antichristi contur baverit August Quest Evang. c. 21. Tom. 4. operum 2. Augustin who was Presbyter of the Church of Hippo about 391. after Christ affirmed the coming of Helias upon the words of Christ Matth. 17.11 because he was to restore the ruines which the persecution of Antichrist should make upon the Church Some of his words are these That our Lord hath said HELIAS SHAL COME AND SHALL RESTORE ALL THINGS that is those whom the persecution of Antichrist shall make desolate Now Antichrist was not risen in John Baptists time and therefore John Baptist could not be that Elijah And in Austins time Antichrist had not done wasting yea the papal Antichrist had not at this time of Austin begun hardly to waste the Christian Church And therefore he so argued for Elijah yet to come †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret in Malach. 4. v. 5. v. 6. 3. Theodoret likewise who flourished about four hundred years after Christ argues for the future coming of Elijah calling him Elijah the Great from our Text in Malachi the fourth upon these grounds That he must teach the Jewes Christs coming and perswade them to be integrated into one Church with beleeving Gentiles Which we see not yet done to this day Mr Mede on Mar. 1.14 15. Diatr par 4. p. 1. c. 4. Mr. Mede likewise is of the same judgement and upon very good reason with the argument whereof he excellently closeth this point thus those words Mark 1.14 15. Now after that John was put in prison Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospell of the Kingdome of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the Kingdome of God is at hand repent yee and beleeve the Gospell I say these words are a narration of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ his first beginning to preach which they describe first by the time when Secondly By the place where Thirdly By the sum of what he preached The time when After that John was put into prison The place where Galilee Jesus came into Galilee Lastly The sum of what he preached The time is fulfilled and the Kingdome of God is at hand repent yee and beleeve the Gospell In which Sermon there are also some parts to be considered which we shall more conveniently distinguish when we come to handle it Mean while let us begin with the three parts or circumstances already named in order And first of the first The time when After that John was cast into prison Our Saviour began not his solemn preaching till his Messenger John the Baptist who was sent to prepare his way was cast into prison This circumstance is else-where precisely noted in the Scripture so that we cannot doubt but there is some matter of moment therein For St. Matthew tels us as St. Marke doth Now when Jesus had heard saith he that John was cast into prison he departed into Galilee and then it followes from that time Jesus began to Preach and to say Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand So St. Peter Act. 10. when he came to preach the Gospel of Christ to Cornelius was carefull to mention this circumstance of time as well as the other of place The word saith he which God sent unto the children of Israel preaching peace by Jesus Christ he is Lord of all That word I say you know which was published throughout all Judea began from Galilee after the baptisme which John preached Loe here the place where Galilee and the time after that John had done as in my Text. All which argues this circumstance of time to be one of the marks of the true Messiah as namely that this Jesus was the Lord whom they looked for who was to send a messenger before him the voyce of a cryer in the wildernesse to usher his preaching and prepare the way of his Gospell as was prophesied in Esay and Malachi and the Jewes at that time expected Which was the reason of that scruple of the Disciples in the Gospel when they saw our Saviour and Elias whom they supposed should be his fore-runner appeare in glory both together in his transfiguration Why then say they doe the Scribes say that Elias must first come Our Saviour tels them that John the Baptist was that Elias the fore-runner of the Messiah according to those words of his father Zechary And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the highest for thou shalt goe before the face of the Lord to prepare his way Namely as the Angell told him in the power and spirit of Elias Luke 1. For this reason as our Saviour was not conceived nor born till six months after John so he began not his prophesie till John had done that so the Scripture might be fulfilled and John be his fore-runner and the messenger both in one and the other Johns beginning to baptize and his casting into prison was between Christs prophesie and his And lastly to conclude the illustration of this circumstance John was not onely a fore-runner of our Saviour in his nativity and prophesie but also in his passion and suffering For so our Saviour himselfe expresly saith Mat. 17.12 Elias is come and they knew him not but have done unto him what ever they listed even so also shal the Son of man suffer of them Now the observation or if you will the consideration I will make upon this circumstance shall be this If that Messiah according to prophecy were to have a Harbinger to prepare the way for his coming and the holy Ghost in the new Testament thought this circumstance so needful to prove the verity thereof as so curiously to note it in the History of his Nativity Preaching and Suffering It would be considered seeing the coming of Christ is two fold the first and second whether the same prophecy imply not that there should be an Harbinger as well of his second coming as of his first as well an Elias to prepare the way for his coming in glory to judge the world as there was at his first coming in humility to preach the Gospel and suffer for the world And Elias I mean to be the Harbinger of Christ to the Nation of the Jewes before his
END and the judgement of the immortal God shall come to mortals then shall come upon men the GREAT JUDGEMENT and the BEGINNING c. as 't is in that Sibyl But saith Lactantius speaking to this of the Sibyl Neverthelesse all universally shall not bee then judged of God but those onely which are verst in the Religion of God The Poets saith Lactantius in the 22. Chap. of the aforesaid Book by Poetical licentiousnesse corrupted that which they had received for in that they fang That men having finished a thousand yeers among the dead they should be restored to life again as Virgil saith When all these soules have turned the wheele at the forgetfull RIVER of death by the space of a thousand yeers God cals forth these unmindfull in a great Troup that they may see againe these places that are upon the convex face of the earth and shall againe begin willingly to return to their bodies Herein their understanding deceived them saith Lactantius That the dead shall rise againe not after a thousand yeers of their death but that being restored to life againe they may REIGNE A THOUSAND YEERS WITH GOD. By God Lactantius meanes Christ as he openly explained himselfe but a little afore Of which Resurrection saith Lactant. Chap. 23. the Philosophers also endeavoured to say something as corruptly as the Poets For Pythagoras disputed that the soules of the deceased did passe into new bodies but foolishly as hee said himselfe was made up of Euphorbus his soule Chrysippus spake better who as Cicero saith established the Porch of the Stoicks he in his books which hee wrote concerning PROVIDENCE speaking of the renovation of the World brings in this Seeing * things are so it appears it is not impossible that we also when we have finished this present life after certain wheelings about of times should bee restored again into this very estate in which we now are And the Sibyl saith thus It is hard indeed to beleeve but when the judgement of the world and of Mortals shall come hee shall send the wicked into darknesse c. but those that imbrace godlinesse SHALL AGAINE LIVE UPON EARTH GOD GIVING THEM BOTH SPIRIT HONOUR and LIFE Chap. 24. Lactantius faith I will adde the rest Therefore saith he the SONNE of the Highest and Greatest God shall come that hee may judge both quicke and dead according to that of the Sibyl Then shall there bee confusion of all mortals of the whole earth and the OMNIPOTENT himselfe shall come upon his Tribunal to judge the soules of quicke and dead and all the world But when hee shall doe that saith Lactantius and shall restore the just that have beene from the beginning unto life hee shall * converse among men a thousand * yeeres and shall rule them with * a most righteous Government Which somewhere the Sibyl proclaimes Hear me O yee men the eternal King doth reigne c. Then saith Lactantius They that shall bee alive in their bodies shall not dye but by the space of those THOUSAND yeeres shall generate an infinite multitude and their off-spring shall bee holy c. And they * that shall bee raised from the * dead shall bee OVER THE DEAD AS JUDGES But the Gentile Nations shall not bee utterly extinguished but some shall bee left for the victory of God that they may bee triumphed over by the just and brought under the yoake of perpetual servitude A little afore that the Prince of Devils the forger of all evil shall bee * bound with chaines and shall * bee in hold all the THOUSAND * yeer es of THECELESTIAL EMPIRE under which righteousnesse shall reign over the world After whose coming the just shall bee gathered together from all parts of the earth c. and the holy Câ—â—IE shall bee placed in the * midst of the earth in which the BUILDER thereof GOD together with his just ones ruling shall ABIDE Which City the * Sibyl thus points out And the City which God made the same hee made brighter then the Sunne Moone or Starres Then all darknesse shall bee taken away c. The Moone shall bee as bright as the Sunne and the Sunne sevenfold brighter then it is c. The earth shall abound with fruitfulnesse c. The whole nature of all things shall joy in freedome from dominion of evill All beasts and birds not preying on one another shall bee at peace one with another c. quoting the Poets touching the golden Age shewing their error in this that mistaking the Prophets who for the certainty of things spake of them as past though minded them as to come they thought they were all past Alleadging also the Sibyls that in divers places affirme that men shall live a most quiet and plentiful life and shall reigne together with God and the Kings of the Nations shall come from the bounds of the earth with their gifts and shall adore and honour the great King c. These things saith Lactantius Chap. 25. are those which are spoken by the Prophets that they shall come to passe whose ☞ testimonies and words I deemed not needfullto set downe because it would bee an infinite worke If any aske when those things shall come to passe I but now said above that that * change must needs bee when * SIX THOUSAND YEERS * shall bee compleated and that chiefe day of the last con ☞ clusion of them doth now draw neer Touching the signes you may know them by the Prophets c. when this summe of six thousand yeeres shall bee compleat they teach who have wrote of the quantity of the number of yeers since the Creation according as they have gathered it out of the holy Scriptures and divers Histories which Writers although they vary and the summe of their number differs yet every mans expectation seems to bee not beyond two hundred yeers hence Yea the thing it selfe shews that the fall and ruine of things will bee in a short time * onely the CITY of ROME being now in safety there seems no cause of feare in any such thing But when that head of * the World shall fall and bee * a RUINE instead of ROME * as the Sibylls foretell who * doubts but the end to humane affaires and the whole World is now come Wee said saith Lactantius Chap. 26. a little afore that in the beginning of the holy Kingdome it shall bee that the Prince of Devils shall be bound by God But that same Prince when the one thousand yeers that * is when the 7000 yeers shall * begin to determine hee shall bee loosed againe c. and shall stir up all Nations under the dominion of the just to warre against the holy City whereupon innumerable people shall bee gathered together who shall besiege it Then shall the last wrath of God come upon the Nations and overthrow them unto one man with many terrible shakings c. of the earth and other wonderfull signes c. and infinite
what P. Simpson in his History of the Arian and Eutychian Persecution taken out of Sozom. Lib. 1. cap. 14. offers to our consideration It is this The care saith hee that Constantine had to dis-burthen persecuted Christians of that heavy yoke of persecution that pressed them downe so long was not onely extended to the bounds of the Romane Empire whereunto Constantine was Sovereigne Lord but he was carefull also to procure the peace of Christians who lived under SAPORES King of Persia who vexed Christian people with SORE and GRIEVOUS persecution so that within his Dominion more then sixteen thousand were found who had concluded their lives by Martyrdome of whom were divers persons of great ranke which are there named While Constantine was meditating the reliefe of the Christians in Persia the Ambassador of SAPORES King of Persia came to Constantine who granting their Petitions they came about sent them back to their King Sapores with a letter of his owne wherein he intreats Sapores to be friendly to Christians The copy of this Letter Mr. Fox gives us Book of Mart. V. 1. p. 127. in whose Religion on nothing can be found that can justly be blamed And withall wisheth Sapores to consider the miserable life and death of Valerian the eighth Persecutor among the Romans And what good successe God had given him the said Constantine having been a friend to the Christians Now what effect this Letter took in Persia the History mentions not but this is mentioned that a little before the death of this Constantine M. which was about 341 yeers after Christ for he began to reign 310 after Christ and reigned 31 yeers he intended to make warre against Sapores King of Persia and in the way to have been baptized in Jordan but he falling sicke in Nicomedia was baptized at the Suburbs of Bithynia Thus the History of P. Sympson aforesaid By which you may see how well Satan was bound from the time of Constantines suppressing the ten Persecutions supposing that the Doctors narrow distinction of binding Satan had been right viz. onely from seducing to open persecution c. You see how thirty yeers after Constantines beginning to reigne and at least twenty within the beginning of the Doctors thousand yeers of Satans binding as hee affirmes there was fore persecution in Persia A considerable passage enough to overthrow all that the Doctor affirms in this his argument of the thousand yeers and his interpretation of binding Satan Secondly wee come punctually to his particulars ¶ 1 Of the Arians hee saith S. 2. ¶ 1. they seduced not the Nations with open force to root out Christianity c. To this we answer In what did the Arians differ in their manner of persecuting from the heathen Emperours persecution notwithstanding the Doctors nice distinctions of Arians not seducing Nations with open force to a rooting out Christianity but onely by patched deceits they oppressed the Orthodox For take but a taste of the times between the death of Constantine M. about Anno three hundred and forty after Christ to Julian about Anno three hundred and sixty of whom by and by being a distinct head of the Doctors Reply I say take but a taste out of the said History of the Arian persecution and other good Authors and then see what difference you can make between the heathen Emperors persecuting and the persecutions under the Arian Emperors and favourers of Arians Constantinus M. left three sonnes Constantius Constans and Constantinus Junior Constantius governed the East parts of the Roman Empire the other two the West Constantine junior after three yeers was slaine Constans reigned thirteen yeers Constantius five and twenty yeers Now this Constantius was infected with Arian herisie by an Arian Priest a Courtier advanced thither by Constantia the sister of Constantine junior But whiles the other Emperor of the West viz. Constans was yet alive Arianisme could not get that head because when Paulus Bishop of Constantinople and Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria and many other Bishops were unjustly persecuted falsly accused and deposed c. under Constantius tainted with that opinion in the East Constans in the West succoured them But after thirteen yeers Constans being slaine now Arian Constantius rules all Now Arian persecution mounts up I thinke as high for the time as the heathen persecution For Constantius by instigation sutable to his Arian opinion against the Orthodox sends a Commander of Warre with five thousand armed men to surround the place where Athanasius was to the intent to kill him But by disguise hee was conveighed through them away from danger Under this Constantius Georgius an Arian Bishop was seated in Alexandria in the room of Athanasius whom Sebastianus furnishing with armed Souldiers see how hee acts A fire was kindled in the Towne the Christian Virgins were stript naked brought to the fire and commanded to renounce the faith To which when the sight of the fire prevailed not he caused their faces to be gashed c. that their familiar friends knew them not by face Thirty Bishops of Egypt and Lybia were slain in the sury of this Arian persecution And fourteen B. B. more whom Theodoret names were banished in this persecution of whom some dyed in the way others dyed in banishment And forty worthy Christians were scourged in Alexandria with wands because they would not communicate with the Arian Wolfe Georgius some of the peeces of which wands stucke in their flesh and others dyed of their pains The like cruelty the Arians practised in Constantinople Paulus B. thereof being banished to a little Towne in Cappadocia called Cucusus where at length hee was strangled by the Arians Macedonius being placed in his room a notable heretick See also Theo bid saith the story used no lesse cruelty in compelling the Christians of Constantinople to communicate with him ☞ then marke our Historian the like whereof yee have in Socrates Lib. 2. cap. 24. was used of old to compel Christians to sacrifice to the Idols of the Gentiles See how our Historian affirmes flatly contrary to the Doctor Now judge by this little of the rest Was not here violence Was not here extirpation of Religion as much as in the ten heathen persecutions proportion for proportion And is this the binding of Satan Is this the glorious time of the thousand yeers so extolled by St. John Is not here a seducing of the Nations by force For this made the generality of the vast Empire to turn Arians The Orthodox being oppressed yea suppressed in a great part and the rest seduced just as in the ten Persecutions And what difference is there between an Arian and an Heathen save only the Arian is the worse sinning against more light And thus was the state of things for the first twenty yeers yea for the second twenty yeers within the Doctors thousand yeers of binding Satan ¶ 2 Next wee come to the second particular which the Doctor affirmes viz. of Julians
by ascention to possesse the Kingdome of glory there to be installed into this on earth That being the originall of this or that being the Emperiality to which this the Tributary or Province Or Heaven being the Metropolis this below the Territories Sure enough expresse it is that he went away into a far Country which can be no other but heaven Christ having never travelled bodily out of his owne Country Secondly that though hee were before his going a Noble-man and had the Regiment or Government over a Royalty he had servants he had the command of imploying them as he listed And had the power of rewarding or punishing as he pleased so that the unprofitable servant that improved not his Talent he cast into utter darknesse where was weeping and gnashing of teeth Matth. 25.30 All which in that Matth. 25.14 c. is called the Kingdome of Heaven that is the Kingdome of Grace as appears in the former Parable of the Virgins the same in sence v. 1. c. Yet thirdly it is said this Noble-man went into a far Country to receive for himselfe another Kingdome and to returne vers 12. where as his receiving the Kingdome is put before his returning So on the other side it is said He returned receiving a Kingdome vers 15. * Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Arias renders in redire ipsum accipientem regâ—um where his returning is put before his receiving the Kingdome so that both Kingdomes must be here meant viz. Christ receiving the Kingdome of glory afore his returne and his Kingdome of visible power of reigning on earth after his returne For meerly his Kingdome of glory in Heaven cannot be here understood because touching his reigning there it was in vaine unpossible and altogether unlikely for his enemies to send an ambassage after him saying They would not have him to reigne over them And meerly his Kingdome of grace cannot bee here understood because that is otherwise expressed under the comparison of Talents compare Matth 25. And moreover it is here distinctly set downe that he is to goe into a far Country and then actually to receive another Kingdome partly before he returned and partly after he returned even as there is a diversity of actions In that Kingdome of Grace there is mentioned onely the neglect of improving the Talents but in this Kingdome of visible power received after his returne there is an high affront offered they send a message that they would not have him to reigne Again there is diversity of names The former are called Servants The latter are called Enemies Adde that there is a different dispensation of justice The unprofitable servant is put into a darke prison but the enemies must bee slaine AFORE HIM Therefore of necessity here must be hinted the Kingdome of Christs visible power That was it the Jewes expected yea and the best of them viz. the Disciples as we have heard afore and therefore to that Christ here speaks And for that Christ did not set up this at his coming in the flesh delivering them from the Romans therefore his Citizens his enemies hated him and sent a message after him They hated him as in relation of having him to be their visible King or King of visible Dominion when they cryed at his arraignment They had no King but Caesar And they sent an embassage after him when after his death in opposition to that kingly-hood they were angry with Pilate for writing in the Title set over him in Hebrew Greek and Latine THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWES § 5 There are also severall other passages in this Parable for Christs visible appearance and setting up his visible Kingdome of power on earth yet before the ultimate day of judgement As first His giving to the improvers of their Talents to one the rule over ten Cities to another the rule over five Cities And the Talent of him that had improved nothing to him that had improved much all which compared with the preface of the Parable touching the appearing of the Kingdome cannot in any thing well relate to the state of meer supernall eternall glory in the highest Heavens 2 His causing his enemies to bee slaine afore his face suits not to Christs meer Kingdome of grace whose Dominion precisely considered is in the power of the Gospel Nor doth it comport and comply with the ultimate day of judgement when instead of slaying enemies there is a making them alive And instead of punishing them before Christs face there is a sending them away from the presence of the Lord into eternal judgement But these extremely well agree with Christs appearing to set up his visible Kingdome of power For then Christ shall destroy his Antichristian Jewish and Gentilish and mixt Turkish enemies with the brightnesse of his appearance as hath been opened upon 2 Thess 2. in Sect 4. of this second Book And shall slay them corporally Revelat. 19. latter end § 6 Indeed the whole Parable appears to them that can leave the commonr ode of Tradition and wishly minde and ingeniously weigh the passages and preface thereof to aime at Christs next coming to set up such a Kingdome as shall not onely perfect the spirituall deliverance of the Gentiles but also to performe the temporall deliverance of the Jewes from their dispersion and corporall miseries For the naturall current of the Parable runnes thus Christ being neer Hierusalem the Jewes thought the Kingdome of God would immediately appeare Doubtlesse it was far from their thoughts in the captive condition they were now in to expect the appearance of the Kingdome of glory in Heaven For the hundreds of promises of their deliverance from the corporall captivity were not fulfilled And for the Kingdome of grace these men little minded And the better sort viz. the Disciples and Beleevers had seen it appeare already therefore it is the other Kingdome of Christ viz. that of his visible power and rule to deliver them from their corporall enemies that they supposed would immediately appeare Now to this saith Christ It will not immediatly appeare but I must saith he first goe into a farre Country viz. into Heaven and there be instated and Crowned King and after that come againe and actually and visibly reigne the meane while you to whom I have given Talents that is have endowed with gifts must imploy them and at my return as a signe of my visible actuall power I will take account of you and cause mine enemies that oppose my visible reigning to bee slaine afore me § 7 Now at the ultimate day of Judgement Christ receives no Kingdome but resignes all his Kingdome Power and Dominion 1. Cor. 15.28 CHAP. III. Of five places out of the Old Testament to prove the visible appearance of Christ to the Church on earth at the time of her restauration SECT I. The first place is out of Dan. 7.11 to end of the Chapter § 1 THis place we put first because it doth give much light
you see and heare For David is not ascenascended into the heavens but he saith himself THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD SIT THOV ON MY RIGHT HAND UNTIL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES THY FOOTSTOOL therefore let the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom yee have crucified both LORD and THE CHRIST 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For from hence we may boldly conclude the sence of the Apostle that by Christs ascention not only was the Spirit to be poured out as Ephes 4. Joh. 7.39 but the house of Israel must know assuredly that he was there initiated enstalled and entitled to be LORD and THE CHRIST That as before we opened it out of Luke 19.11 Christ went away to heaven to returne and receive a Kingdome So that Christ must have besides his anointing with his Spirituall power another Lordship to subdue all his enemies to be his footstoole and this the house of Israel must know assuredly now after Christs ascention as after his ascention the Apostle there made that application of the one hundred and tenth Psalme But sure enough to this day neither doth the house of Israel know this assuredly nor are his enemies his footstoole but contrariwise Christ in his repute and in his Members and his Gospel is their footstoole 6 ¶ The Apostle carries on this yet further in 1 Cor. 15. ver 24 to ver 29. Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God the Father when he shall have put downe all rule and all authority and all power For he must reigne till he hath put all enemies under his feet The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death For he HATH marke here he useth the past time put all things under his feet but when he saith all things are put under him it is manifested that he is excepted which did put all things under him And WHEN all things SHALL BE SVBDVED UNTO HIM observe now the Apostle speakes in the future time then also shall the Sonne himselfe be subject unto him that put all things under him You see evidently that in the five and twentieth verse are quoted the words of the one hundred and tenth Psalme and in the twenty seventh verse is quoted part of the eighth Psalme which is the reason why the Apostle speakes there in the past time Not that the things were then fulfilled when the Apostle pend that 1 Cor. 15. for presently in the twenty eighth verse he speakes them in the future but because it is in the Hebrew in Psal 8. in the past time alluding to the type of it in Adam Gen. 1.26 c. Howbeit the sence is a Prophesie of things to come that they shall be all subject to Christ as they were to Adam as this our Apostle applyes it Heb. 2. of which afore These things being premised let us now see what the Apostle doth comment in this 1 Cor. 15. upon that one hundred and tenth Psalme First the Apostle layes it downe for a sure Position in the twenty fourth verse that the END OF ALL is not till Christ hath delivered up the Kingdome to God the Father 2. He gives us a signe in the same verse when he will so give up the Kingdome viz. When he hath put downe all authority rule and power 3. The Apostle proves this out of this one hundred and tenth Psalme ver 1. FOR saith the Apostle ver 25. he must reigne till he hath put all enemies under his feet which is all one with making his enemies his footstoole and plainly holds forth to us by this connexion that part of Christs putting downe all authority and power is to put all his enemies under his feet which saith the Apostle must be so universall that all enemies to Christ or his Members as well things as persons must be comprehended even Death it selfe as the last of all the rest 4. That all things were not subdued unto Christ when the Apostle wrote that 1 Cor. 15. for in the twenty eighth verse he speaketh of them as of things to come viz. when all things SHALL BE SVBDVED VNTO HIM Christ had before that about eighteene yeares by-past * Christ ascended about Anno 34. Paul writ his first Epist to the Corinthians about Anno 52. risen and ascended yet notwithstanding the Apostle speakes of putting all his enemies under Christs feet as of a thing yet to come which doth excellently confirme that sence we give of the Apostles words Heb. 2. viz. that Paul and those of his time did not see all things put under Christ or subject to him though they saw him ascend and to be ascended Nor doe we or have we now about one thousand six hundred yeares since that seen all things subject to Christ whereof the Apostle gives us six signes of assurance for saith the Apostle 1 If all things were subject to Christ then the END cometh ver 24. 2. The full end is not till Christ resigne up all viz. the Kingdome and Dominion c. to God ver 24. 3. That before that be done Death must be destroyed as one of the enemies to be put under Christs feet ver 26. By the destroying of death is not only meant a Morall or Spiritual destruction of it that it shall not prejudice our Salvation for so it hath been destroyed to all Beleevers from the beginning of the Promise of Christ revealed to Eve but Physically that there shall be no more death to the godly Revel 21.4 4. That Death is the last enemy that shall be destroyed ver 26. which is fulfilled to the godly at the beginning of the thousand yeares of which we speake when all the Elect deceased shall rise from the dead the wicked deceased not rising till the end of the said thousand yeares as before we have touched and shall be after demonstrated at which time Death shall be removed from those wicked to the end that they with their companions that a little afore made head against Christ in his Saints may receive their finall Judgement But because the Apostle here mentions Death as an enemy to Christs Kingdome for the death temporall or eternall of the wicked is a friend to Christs Kingdome he must of necessity meane the abolishing of corporall death from the Saints which is performed at the beginning of the thousand yeares which placing of Death in the order and relation of the last of the enemies of Christ and his Church doe clearly intimate that many enemies of Christ and his Saints must be destroyed afore that which stood in opposition to this All-glorious and All-peaceable visible Kingdom of Christ on earth And as death is destroyed Physically as wee have shewed so all that submit not to Christ are destroyed Physically that is they cease to be on earth 5. That Death is not destroyed till the last Trumpet ver 51. 52. in that 1 Cor. 15. Behold I shew you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shal
be changed in a moment in the twinckling of an eye at the lad Trumpet for it shall sound both the dead shal be raised incorruptible and we shal be changed * So according to the best Greek Copies howbeit the common translation holds forth effectually what we intend Saint John in the Revelation tels us that the last Trumpet is the seventh Trumpet according to the many instances wherein God delights in the number of seven so that six as it is exprest in the Revelation sounded afore this and saith That the last end of all is not till the last Trumpet But there is a great intervall and space within the time of the last Trumpet many things being to be done within that compasse so that at the first beginning of the last Trumpet the enemy so falls that the Kingdomes of THIS world become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord his Christ in spight of all enemies and their anger the dead Saints are raised and a reward given to them Revel chap. 11. ver 15 16 17 18. which is a summary preface or a prefaciatory sum to the Catastrophe or upshot of the Revelation to follow unto the end as touching the Saints And in Revel 20. first seven verses is expressed how long this visible Kingdome of Christ on earth shall be and consequently so long is the space of the last Trumpet viz. a thousand yeares But the last end of all the ultimate period shall not be till the last end of the last Trumpet Revel 20. vers 12 c. Now let the Reader compare and consider all that Paul hath spoken in this quotation of and upon the one hundred and tenth Psalme touching the subduing of all things to Christ and the five notes of the time when it must be together with Johns explication and confirmation of Pauls last Trumpet and then let him tell me 1 Whether these things must not of necessity be fulfilled upon the earth 2 Whether these things are not yet to come yet to be fulfilled 3 Whether they must not be fulfilled afore the ultimate end of all when Christ resignes up his Kingdome to the Father 7 ¶ But there is yet one quotation more of this hundred and tenth Psalme insisted upon by the Apostle which gives us further light in Heb. 10. ver 11 12 13. Every Priest saith he standeth daily in ministring and offering oftentimes the same sacrifice which can never take away sin but this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes SATE DOWNE ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD FROM HENCE-FORTH EXPECTING TILL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE HIS FOOT-STOOL c. Two things are here at first sight evident before our eyes viz. 1. That the Apostle quotes the words of the one hundred and tenth Psalme And 2. That the Apostle applyes them to explaine the eminency of Christs Priesthood above the Leviticall in that the Leviticall Priests offered daily Christ but once they oftentimes the same Sacrifice he only once they tooke not away sinnes he did they stood as Servants he sate downe as Lord according to Psal 110. ver 1. Now observe how this suits to our purpose For it is expresse here that Christ did effectually attaine to reigne spiritually in overcoming Sinne and Satan witnessed in making perfect attonement for the sinnes of all that are sanctified and his overcoming death the wages of sinne And the Divel the Gaoler of death by his Resurrection Ascension and Assession at the right hand of God whereby in regard of the place he got above all his enemies And yet for all this to that very houre that the Apostle wrote this Christs enemies were not made his footstoole But saith he still there he sits from THENCEFORTH EXPECTING TIL his enemies be made his footstool as he doth to this day Plainly signifying that Christ must have another-gates Regiment and Government another manner or degree of subduing his enemies then that Which can be no other then a sensible visible subduing of them Which as we on earth expect so he in heaven saith the Apostle sits continually expecting the same For his enemies on earth continuing his enemies under that notion so to be subdued are never subject to him spiritually And further as the Apostle minds us Christ expects that further subduing of his enemies upon his Fathers promise made to him Psa 110. Now at the ultimate day of judgment there is no more subduing of any thing to Christ seeing then Christ layes down all and he the same himself is subject 1 Cor. 15. Therfore this being yet unfulfilled must be performed afore that day and according to the sense of the 110 Psalm of which all this while we have spoken but upon the first verse There are divers other passages more in this Psalme that much concurre to and explaine our point 8 ¶ Verse 2. The Lord shall send the rod of thy STRENGTH out of Zion Rule thou in the MIDST OF THINE ENEMIES Mr. Ainsworth and our New Annotationists parallel this with Psal 2. And withall assert that the Jewish Expositors generally doe acknowledge the second Psalme to be concerning the Messias and infer if that then there is as much reason for this Now as in Psal 2. it is said Christ shall rule his enemies with a ROD OF IRON and breake them incorrigible as a Potters vessel even so in this Psalme it is said the Rod of Christs STRENGTH * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of authority or power which I should wonder if any dare to restraine to meer spirituall efficacy especially if we heedfully observe that which follows Rule thou as with that Rod * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the middest of thine enemies Now tell me how doth Christ rule spiritually in the middest of his enemies And if you grant with us that a sensible corporal rule must be here admitted then cast about and consider that Christ hath no rule at the ultimate day of judgement 1. Cor. 15. And before that to this day Christ hath not so ruled amidst his enemies in most Nations Therefore it is yet to come afore the ultimate day of judgement Verse 3. Thy people shall be willing or Voluntaries in the day of thy power or Armie as Ainsworth asserts Now Peter assures us that the great day of Christ is a thousand yeers 2 Pet. 3. And wee must of necessity yeeld that this day of power must signifie a distinct determinated time and then to be measured out when Christs power shall most eminently appeare above any former appearance Now whether we take this in a spiritual sense of acting grace after conversion or in an Ecclesiastical as our Annotationists that Christs people shall be assembled unto his Church whose increase shall be as it follows so abundant and wonderful as the drops of the dew falling from the womb of the morning or in a corporal sense that men shall bee willing to pull downe Christs
reserventur Quomodo autem vas fict le testâ—ceum si â—tactum â—uâ—â— it in actiquam speciem non potest reformari siâ— et populus Judaeorum Hierusalem subversa statum pristinum non habebune Hieronymus in Iâ—rem 19.10 This is evidently spoken not of the Babylonian but of the Roman captivity for after the Babylonians both the City is rebuilt and the people brought back to Judea are restored to their ancient abundance but after the Captivity that happened under Vespasian and Titus and after that under Hadrian the ruines of Jerusalem shall remaine unto the end of the world although the Jewes imagine that a golden and gemmed Hierusalem shall be restored unto them and that againe they shall have oblations and Sacrifices and the marriages of Saints and the Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour upon earth Which things though we follow not their opinion yet wee cannot condemn because many Ecclesiasticall men and Martyrs have said the same And let every one abound in his owne sence and all bee reserved to the judgement of the Lord. But looke how a Potters vessell of earth if broken cannot be againe formed into its former shape so the people of the Jewes and the City of Jerusalem being subverted they shall never have their ancient state Thus Jerom in which words observe 1. That all we asserted in the former § is here represented to a syllable before your eyes 2. That his argument he urgeth against the Jewes restauration after their Romish destruction is as weake as the earthen bottle whereof hee makes the foundation of it For he overstretcheth the Prophets comparison who therein intended onely a totall or universall dispersion of the Jewes but not a finall destruction this selfe-same Prophet else-where and of the rest the most in all the old Testament as we have largely discussed prophesying and describing to the life the glorious restauration of the Iewes yea and of the Israelites too And as Ierom formally urgeth the argument hee doth seem to ground himself upon the impossibility of that restauration as of re-forming a broken earthen bottle and so with a by-blow smites our hope of the resurrection because that may seem to men impossible But beleevers must not goe upon that ground in dispute It is a like easie for God to doe as to say witnesse his fiat let it be so in the creation Yea the comparison it selfe prompts a possibility and probability that as after a broken earthen bottle is mellowed and mouldered againe into clay may be new formed into a bottle so after the deep desolations of the Jewes they shall be restored againe as the Prophet Daniel chap. 12. v. 2. gives it us in a like comparison and the Apostle after him Rom. 11. v. 15. viz. of bodies turned to dust or clay reviving to life which metaphors are higher then the new-forming of an earthen broken bottle ¶ 2. Collate with Jeromes words the words of that most ancient pious and learned Justin Martyr in his very discusse of the future glorious restauration of the Jewes and of the universall Church and that in his Dialogue with Tryphon the Iew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Mart. in Dialog cum Tryph. p. 340. Edâ—t Graec. Lat. Paâ—is A. D. 1636. and we shall find that Ierom did wrong in saying they expected again Iewish Oblations and Sacrifices Iustin Martyrs words are these For he is the excellent cheife Priest and eternal King CHRIST himself as the Sonne of God in whose coming again ye may not think that Isaiah or others of the Prophets did teach that the Sacrifices of blood or Oblations should be offered upon the Altar but true and spirituall praises with thanksgivings For indeed we doe not in vaine hope in him neither are we seduced from those that so teach Thus Justin In which words you see clearly the opinion of the religious learned Ancients Jewish Prophets c. of whom Justin speakes in the Plurall that their opinion yea and faith and hope was contrary to the sence that Jerom would put upon them ¶ 3. Jerom himselfe hath confest the same sence with us of divers places before alleadged for our opinion as on Hos 3.4 Book 3. chap. 2. Sect 39 on Mat. 11.14 on Mat. 17.14 c. Book 3. cha 2. Sect. 51. Margent and else-where ¶ 4. Hear Mr. Medes answer to all Ieroms speeches against us on those places of Scripture afore quoted § 1. Sed fidem tuam Hieronyme qui cum Dionysio tuo Alexandrino c. i. e. But O thy faithful dealing O Ierom who together with thy Dionysius Alex. doe fasten upon the opinion of the Millenaries that the injury of circumsicion the blood of Sacrifices and the rest of the legal Ceremonies are againe to be restored after their supposed death Indeed those things which Iewes or perhaps Hereticks out of Iudaisme dreamed concerning their Millenarie you odiously dash upon the Christians But hath this becommed your candor Yea thou Ierom no more but thy selfe being judge dost bewray thy crimination to be false For so thou writest on Jer. 19.5 Post captivitatem quae sub Vespasiano that is After the captivity which happened under Vespasian and Titus and after under Hadrian the ruins of Hierusalem are to continue to the end of the world albeit the Jews do thinke that there shall be restored unto them a golden and gemmed Hierusalem and that again ethere shall be oblations and sacrifices and the marriages of the Saints and the Kingdome of the LORD our SAVIOUR upon earth which although we follow not yet we cannot condemne because many Ecclesiasticall men and Martyrs have so said These are thy word O Jerome But prethee tell me did those Ecclesiasticall men and holy Martyrs say that circumcision and sacrifices should at the time of Christs Kingdom be restored take heed of saying so For certainly they taught the contrary as may be confirmed out of Justin Martyrs Dialogue with Trypho c. or if thou hadst certainly known they had so beleeved wouldst not thou have condemned them without any demur Thus Mr. Mede SECT III. Of the words of GAIUS seconded by DIONYSIUS ALEXANDRINUS both falsly fathering our opinion upon CERINTHUS and injuriously mingling therewith such impieties as our souls abhorre yet so far credited by EUSEBIUS PAMPHYLIUS therein too credulous as that they are alleadged by him for history without putting any check upon them * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Euseb Pamphil. lib. 3. cap. juxta Graec. 26. 27. juxta laâ—motas in Irenaeo juxta Aug. cap. 24 25 In the discusse whereof our Opinion of the THOUSAND YEARS is VINDICATED from VOLUPTUOUS CHILIASME THE whole story is this About the same time viz. of the Sect of the Ebionites we learne that there was one Cerinthus an Author of another Heresie Gaius whose words we have aforealleadged in the controversie carryed about in his name writeth thus of him CERINTHUS also by revelations written as of a great Apostle brought
Truth and the faithfull witnesse Joh. 14.6 and Revelations Chap. 1.5 must be fulfilled and afore the ultimate generall Judgement for after that Christ is no King as vers 16. After that he rules not the Nations with a rod of Iron vers 15. After that there is no giving the flesh of Kings Captaines c. as meat to the Fowles of the Heavens vers 19. I say he is none of these doth none of these 1 Cor. 15.24 28. Therefore it must be fulfilled at the first Resurrection and reigning of the Saints in the twenty and one and twenty Chapters largely opened afore CHAP. V. Conteining several Arguments to prove the QUOD SIT That there is such a glorious time aforesaid yet to come before the ultimate judgement SECT I. § 1 IF God hath been wont generally in all ages to punish on earth and there to destroy all long fierce Tyrants and Persecutors of his Church then still hee will so punish them But Antichrist consisting of Pope and Turke and their adherents as afore-demonstrated have been long time and still are fierce tyrants and persecutors of the Church Therefore that Antichrist will God yet punish and destroy upon earth § 2 For proofe of the antecedent of the first proposition or major as we call it viz. that God hath been wont c. note briefly 1. The Scripture sets forth the destruction of the Egyptians on earth by ten plagues and their drowning in the red-sea for their long and fierce tyranny over the poor Israelites for about 300 years Exod. the first fifteen chapters 2. The Scripture notes the ruin on earth that is brought upon the first that is the Assyrio-Chaldean Monarchie for that Nebuchadnezzar who is the head of the monstrous persecuting image Dan. 2. having slaine the Nobles hee carryed away captive to Babylon the whole land of Judah in all the considerable things and persons thereof 2 King 25.2 Chron. 36. And having them there commanded them to worship his Idoll golden Image upon paine of being put into a fiery oven which he executed on Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Dan. 3. For in the reign of Nebuchadnezzars Grand-child viz. Belshazzar son of Evil-Merodach the son of Nebuchadnezzar the Assyrio-Chaldean Monarchy is swallowed up of the Medo-Persian Monarchy Dan. 5.28 29 30 31. Thirdly The Medio-Persian Monarchy treading in the same steps of cruelty to the Church or worse as the sixth chapter of Daniel and the whole books of Ester and Nehemiah give us a full account is swallowed up of the Grecian-Monarchy according to Daniels vision cha 7. of the fulfilling whereof we have a large account in the Books of Maccabees Quintus Curtius Josephus c. The Grecian Monarchy following the same rode invading Judea and at length most miserably corrupting and depopulating the parts and places of their worship and cruelly putting to death thousands and ten thousands of the Jews as Heb. chap. 11. and the books of Maccabees relate at large it is at last swallowed up of the fourth and last that is the Roman Monarchy according to Daniels Visions and Prophesies Dan. 7. Dan. 8. and Dan. 11. This fourth Monarchy of the Romans not differing from the former in cruelty unlesse in exceeding them concurring in putting to death Christ and his Apostles as the New Testamament gives us hints and lengthning and increasing their cruelty for three hundred yeers with variety of horrid torments executed on the Christians over the world reaching even to our England the Lords divine justice ever since that hath been pouring out a Vial of wrath upon it though it is not yet totally consumed Pilate and two and thirty Emperours next succeeding came to untimely ends as Mr. Fox in his Book of Martyrs gives an excellent account About the year three hundred and twelve Constantine the Great rising up in behalfe of the Christians slew his Colleagues and their Armies that had so persecuted About the yeer One thousand after Christ the Saracens tear from the Romans part of their Empire in particular Judea Drechs Cedr page 582. Bucholc Ind. Chron. ad annum one thousand and nine About three hundred years after viz. Anno one thousand three hundred the Turks by their addition to the Saracens making a mighty Empire rend three Horns of the ten on the head of the Roman Beast from him that is so many great parts of his Empire afore largely explained leaving him but seven Bucholc Jud. Chron. ad annum one thousand three hundred Huet on Dan. c. I may not here be so tedious as to descend to and dilate on all particulars how God hath punished the German persecutors with above twenty years wars by the noble King of Sweden The Spanish Inquisition-cruelty with the wars of the Netherlands the revolt of Portugal and the French wars in Catalonia The French massacres with annual bloody Insurrections among themselves The English persecutions and Marian Bonefires and High-commission cruelties with several Invasions the Barons-wars the Tway-King-conflicts and the late vials of blood Thus of the Antecedent of the major Proposition For the Consequent and sequell of it it is founded upon the unchangeablenesse of God being immutable in his Counsel immutable in his purpose immutable in his controversie against and his justice upon the same wayes of sinne immutable in his power and immutable in his goodnesse to his Church to quit it from the hands of the wicked And upon the warrant we have from the word of God so to infer from Gods unchangeablenesse that because God hath delivered his Church and people and that by destroying the wicked enemies thereof therefore wee may expect hee will so doe for future So the Apostle Paul is confident 2 Cor. 1.10 So the Apostle Peter infers and that from severall examples 2 Pet. second Chapter first nine verses and many other places might be alleadged but for brevity § 3 For the second or minor Proposition 1 That the Turk and Pope have been long time and still are fierce persecutors of the Church of God we need not insist upon the proof thereof having so often afore repeated their history and Chronologie and the eyes and ears of the present generation are witnesses so that both of them are healing and growing up againe to their Zenith Apoge or Achme I mean very high notwithstanding the many cuts and wounds aforesaid given them by divine vengeance So that the Turk hath slain as many Christians in one battel as the tips of their right ears being cut off have filled nine sacks as Mr. Fox gives us the story in his Martyrologie And daily he mightily enlargeth his Empire whiles the Christian Kings and Emperours and Nations Popish and Protestant are bangling one with the other And for the Pope his eldest sonne the house of Austria and his Catholick Kingly Sonne of Spaine is now higher and more Monarchicall then he hath been these many yeers so that his unholy Holinesse the Pope and his Crew in their late Jubilee at Rome sang their
Magnificat and Te Deum that All Christendome was theirs excepting a few minute spots and obscure corners of a few peevish Protestants Now the Catastrophe of these must be according to the full Tenor of the Argument the stream of all Prophesies and the examples of the three former Monarchies a total ruine of them SECT II. § 1 AFter long and many tedious troubles and afflictions and persecutions the Lord hath in all ages given the Church a generall rest upon earth But the Church hath been long under affliction and troubles and persecutions in all Countries where it hath resided even since about forty yeers after Constantine the Great his Reigne Therefore God will yet again give the Church a general rest upon earth § 2 The minor or second Proposition is plaine by History Experience and that which hath been said in the former Argument and therefore there is no need of speaking more to that § 3 Of the major Proposition the Lord from the beginning hath given his Church severall typical first-fruits laying the foundation of all upon his own example in resting from the Creation the seventh day and thereupon gave them a seventh day every week the seventh year of every seven yeers and the Jubile being the last year of seven seven yeers wherein to rest from labours morgages and servitude as a type and taste of the rests he would give his Church from other troubles and afflictions upon earth notably argued by the Apostle upon those grounds Heb. 4. throughout that Chapter largely opened afore And according to these types so hath the Lord practised towards his Church from the beginning 1 After about One thousand six hundred and fifty years of afflictions upon the Church from the Creation by the murther of Abel Gen. 4. by the ungodlinesse of men and their hard speeches against God in the time of Enoch Jude v. 15. and the ungodlinesse of the world in the time of Noah before the Deluge 2 Pet. 2.5 God gave a rest to the Church in the Arke of Noah the name of that good man typifying and ordered by providence unto that end to signifie rest of viz. from toyl Gen. 2.29 2 After the flood new troubles to the Church began to spring up Nimrod assumed to himselfe to be a Monarchical Tyrant over men called therefore a Mighty Hunter that is as the Learned expound a Man-hunter The beginning of his Monarchy was Babel Gen. 10. 8 9 10. After this the building of the Tower to prevent Gods future judgements Gen. 11. brought confusion of Languages which proved a great affliction After that there was great trouble by the Wars taking Lot prisoner c. Gen. 14. and by the firing of Sodome Gen. 19. But at last God sent Isaack signifying Laughter and a type of Christ all the time of whole life there was a time of great Tranquillity This peace perioding many troubles arose in Jacobs time by Esau Laban Simeon and Levi and the selling of Joseph But Joseph being advanced in Aegypt the Country of Goshen there was provided as a Land of rest for the Church for many years Gen. 28. c. to the end of that Book Joseph being dead and forgotten of the Kings of Aegypt great afflictions are heaped upon the Church in hard labour with much rigor persecutingly putting to death their male Infants causing them to groan and cry to God in much anxiety of Spirit Exod. the three first Chapters But at length God brought them out from that place and persecution and gave them freedome forty yeers in the wilderness After this they had sore Wars with the Canaanites but at last rest in Canaan I should be too tedious to dilate upon their rest in returning to Judea after seventy years Captivity Upon the spirituall refreshing the Saints had for a time after the Maccabean and other troubles which wars and troubles lasted about foure hundred years from Malachi to the beginning of the New Testament Upon the rest the Church had after those persecutions Act. 8.1 which rest is emphatically mentioned Act. 9.31 And upon the rest they had afore the life time of Constantine after three hundred years in the ten Persecutions which distinction of ten was by pointing and distinguishing them by some lucida intervalla some rests and respites between each of them till Constantine gave them a greater rest lasting for about forty yeers § 4 Therefore we have reason yea divine reason to expect a great and notable rest for the Church after so long time of troubles for the general upon all the Church more or lesse since that time which is now above a thousand and three hundred years so the Apostle in part argues as we said Heb. 4. that God having given severall rests on earth to the Church after which ever and anon by turns fresh trouble sprang up therefore yet there remaineth another notable rest on earth to the people of God which rest mentioned in that of Heb. 4. is not meerly spirituall or totally supernall glory as we have laboriously argued afore upon that Chapter And there is also a Prophesie inferred upon their state in the Wildernesse touching the Churches rest upon earth Rev. 12. SECT III. § 1 THe Churches extremity is Gods opportunity as Philo Judaein in his Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and experience witnesse But the Church considered in generall in all countries hath been for many years past even till now under great extremities Therefore God will take an opportunity to deliver it The full confirmation of both premises may be sufficiently picked out of the two former arguments The conclusion follows of it selfe SECT IV. § 1 IOynt prayers never miscarry but ever receive gracious returns See the generall Experiment 2 Chron. 15.4 particulars see in the joynt prayers of the Church in Egypt Exod. 2.23 24. under the Judges Judg. 6.6 7. Judg. 10.10 to the end of the chapter under the pious Kings Asa 2 Chron 15.18 to the end Jehoshaephat 2 Chron. 20.12 to 31. Hezekiah 2 King 19.1 c. Josiah 2 King 22.19 § 2 But in many ages even ever since the Apostles prayer Act. 4.24 The Saints and Churches in their convenings have prayed for the fall of Antichrist and all opposers of the Church for the conversion of the Jews and the restauration of the Church to her glory on earth witnesse the severall prayers in the Scriptures and experiences of the prayers of Gods people in all their convenings as the antientest Saints alive have been eare witnesses § 3 Therefore there must be a returne of these prayers according as beside the former precedents God hath made severall promises and engagements as Psa 50.15 Mat. 7.7 Ioh. 14.13 14. Luk. 18.1 c. of hearing his peoples prayers For though God defer long as it is in that parable or comparison Luke 18.1 c. yet he will be sure to answer as he did that prayer Act. 4.24 though it were near three hundred years afore he eminently performed it to
the Roman to bee the fourth Kingdome that so they might the better maintaine their expectation of the Messiah yet to come because that Kingdome was yet in being I say it was affirmed whosoever first affirmed it without all ground authority or probability the contrary also being easie to be proved viz. that the Jewes were of this opinion before our Saviours time as appears in Jonathan Ben Uziel the Chalde Paraphrast and by the fourth Book of Esdras which whatsoever the authority thereof be is sufficient to prove this being written by a Jew for it is saith Picus the first of their seventy Books of Cabala and before our Saviours comming as appears by many passages of Messiah expected and yet to appeare within foure hundred yeers after that supposed time of Esdras Certainly he that writ it meant no hurt to the Christians as will easily appear to him that reads it and finds the name Jesus and so often mention of the Sonne of God Which I note in case you should rather thinke it written after Christ The ancient mention thereof is by Clemens Alexandrinus Anno 200. CHAP. V. Of the Vote of Christians at least so named concerning the glorious state of things yet to be on earth afore the ultimate judgement Delivered not onely in short passages here and there sprinkled in their Works but in their great Councils and forms of Catechismes for the grounding of people in Religion § 1 TOuching the opinion of some learned Papists in the point now under consideration we gave you some instance afore in the first Book out of Lorinus a learned Papist his quotations of some of his owne Religion And out of learned A lapide though a ranke Papist confessing much of this point in his Commentary on Hos 3. v. 5. as his owne judgement quoting many Fathers c. to countenance his opinion therein adde now out of him on Hos 1. Chapter upon the tenth verse And the number of the children of Israel shall be as he sand of the sea which cannot be measured nor numbred he hath these words Dico ergo c. I say therefore saith A lapide this Prophesie began to be fulfilled by Christ who preached in person both to Jews and Israelites as Matth. 4 15. and after by Philip Peter and John Act. 8. Adde that daily many of Israel shall be converted And at last in the end of the world ALL THE ISRAELITES shall bee converted as saith the Apostle Rom. 11.26 And THEN shall this Prophesie of Hosea be perfectly fulfilled So S. Jerome and Christopherus a Castro And that by Israel must here bee understood as Gentiles so the natural Israelites converted unto Christ is the common exposition of the Fathers and School-men * Ita inquit A Lapid S. Hier. Cyril Ruffinus Haymo Hugo Albertus August l. 22. Contra Faustum cap. 89. saepe alibi Cyprian lib. Testim contra Judaeos cap. 19. Tertul. lib 4 contra Marc. cap. 16. Irenaeus lib. 1 cap. 4 Prosper lib. 2. De vocat Gentium cap. 18. Primas Anselm S. Thom. in Rom. 9. And upon v. 12. And the children of JVDAH and the children of ISRAEL shall be gathered together and appoint themselves one head c. For great shall be the day of Jezreel A lapade hath these words Then the Natural Jews and the Israelites shall be converted unto Christ ** Ita inquit A Lapid S. Hieron Haymo Alber. Vetab Arias a Castro They shall I say saith Alapide be gathered into one Church of Christ By Israel and Judah are fundamentally understood the true Israelites and those of Judah which shall bee converted unto Christ symbolically and mystically the Gentiles tobe coverted unto Christ And touching the great day of Jezreel that is the Day of the Messiah of which the Sibyl sang †Apud Virgil. Eclog. 4. Incipient magni procedere monises Then shall proceed the magnificent months c. As the Platonists called the time of the revolution and return of all things to their pristine or first perfection THE GREAT YEER So Christ brings the GREAT YEER when he repairs and reduceth all things to their primaeve orlinal felicity Again the day of Jezrreel signifies the Arm of God So all these daies of Jezreelare daies and works of the mighty arm of God so Arias And lastly The great day of Jezreel shall be the day of the Resurrection and Judgement So Cyril Adde to these things of Alapide That divers of the Popish Schoolmen viz. Aquinas Scotus and Cajetan hold many things of our Tenet according to Dr. â—rideaux his quotation of them § 2 As for Lutherans beside what Luther hinted in our first Book touching Abel and the Saints bodies after death Note the words of famous L. Osiander upon the twelfth of Daniel touching the computations of the times of Michael Messiah his delivering the Jews I think saith Osiander these yeers will fall in with that time in which the Popedome of Rome shall bodily be overthrown § 3 Out of the better sort of Christians viz. the choice Greâ—k and Latine Fathers and later learned pious Authors I have alleadged so much in our first Book that I shall now adde but some culled and picked flowers out of severall goodly Gardens asore omitted to make up the summe of the conclusion That our Thesis in the main is little lesse then as it were the voyce of the Law of nature in all men ¶ 1 Take in the first place as worthy to carry the colâ—urs Mr. Medes * Diatrib part 4. p. 455 c. p. 485. c. p. 490. c. p. 462. c. summary and pithy account * especially for Antiquity set forth long after I was a good way entred into this work Touching the question of the thousand yeers you may see I have demonstrated them to follow the times of the Beast and of the false Prophet and consequently the time of Antichrist And if the Apocalyps be canonicall Scripture it must needs be granted there is such a time to come or we must deny either Rome which now is to be Babylon or the Beast to be Antichrist or Antichristendome which those who opposed the ancient Chiliasts found so necessary as forced them having no other way to avoid their adversaries directly to deny the Apocalyps to be Scripture nor was it re-admitted till they thought they had found some commodious interpretation of the thousand yeers And yet the Apocalyps hath more humane not to speak of divine authoriy then any other book of the New Testament besides even from the time it was first delivered But we see ☞ what the zeale of opposition can do Justin Martyr alleadged This Dogma of the thousand yeers regnum or Kingdome was the general opinion of all orthodox Christians in the age immediately following the Apostles if Justin Martyr say true of whom see at large in our first Book and none knowne to deny it but Hereticks Irenaeus aâ—leadged See his words at length
at first created being at length RENOVATED or made new it shall put on a face that shall be far more pleasant and beautiful All which is understood of a stare and time on earth afore the ultimate judgement For the next Question following in that Catechisme is concerning that Q. Deinde autem quid superest But after that what remaines A. Ultimum generale judicium the ultimate and general judgement for Christ shall come c. ¶ 2 Touching certaine parts and circumstantials of our opinion as that there shall be yet afore the ultimate end of the world a glorious time of the universal call of the Jews was the judgement of Chrysostome Orat. de vocat Judaecorum Paragraph 7. Hilary Austin Ambrose and Jerome whom for that Dr. Prideaux quotes and consents with them * And touching the coming of Elijah before the next coming of Christ was the general opinion of the Fathers as Dr. Iohn Alsted quotes and asserts ¶ 3 Of later Writers touching parcels of our opinion wee might quote many 1 Wendelinus in his natural Contemplations 2 Hieron Zanchius on Hof 3. 3 Functius his Chronologie 4 Rivetus on Hos 3. 5 Peter Martyr in his Common Places Class 2. cap. 4. and cap. 16. 6 Pareus on Rom. 11. Explicat dubiorum Johannes de Comb is compend Totius Theolog. Lib. 7. cap. 13. Alphonsus Conradus Of Mantua in his Commentary on the Revelation doth superabound upon the main point I will give you but some few special touches in his Commentary on Rev. We may see saith he that diverse hold that between Christs comming in the flesh and comming in Majesty there is a middle comming of spiritual power and force to destroy the great Antichrist and to reforme the Church This comming they say shall be in the end of the sixth Millenary or thousand yeers of which comming they make Enoch and Elijah the fore-runners They say that Antichrist shall bee destroyed by their preaching and his Kingdome abolished After which down-fall peace shall be granted to the Church and Satan shall be bound so that hee shall not bee able to disturbe the tranquillity thereof Now this peace and happy progresse of the Church they say shall last for the whole seventh Millenary till the last time of her troubles by the persecution of the Nations Gog and Magog because of Satan who they say shall then bee at liberty stirring them up against the godly These words quoted by Dr. John Alsted in his Treatise of the thousand yeers inferres this From hence it appeares saith Alsled that our opinion concerning these thousand yeers is no new and unheard-of thing As for Alsonsus Conradus his owne opinion heare a little of that First in his Preface This one thing perhaps saith he may offend the eares of some because I seem to promise a more plentifull peace to the Church then that likenesse of the crosse will allow of in which in this world the Church must be made conformable to Christ its head But let them bethinke themselves that this is not so contrary to the Scripture that it should bee objected against mee or laid to my charge as fit to bee reckoned in the number of those which are termed either impious or absurd Especially when as I cannot perceive by what meanes that happinesse which John writes the Church shall injoy Satan being bound can be made good except wee acknowledge some rest of the Church her enemies being overthrowne which I thinke indeed ever happened as often as the enemies of Gods people have been removed out of the way Now because the enemy John tells us shall be removed is more dangerous then all that ever yet infested Gods people it ought not to seem strange to any one if hee being once overcome the Church injoy a more plentifull peace then usuall Secondly in his Comment on Rev. 20.1 God being about to bestow saith Alsonsus a more plentifull peace on his Church then heretofore it sufficeth not him to have removed out of the way the BEAST and those Kings of the earth with an horrible slaughter except also he restrain Satan the beginner of all these mischiefes so that he may not raise any more those usuall strifes among them Wherefore the Angel comes down from heaven who repressing the fury of Satan shutteth him up as long as he pleases not to have the Churches peace to bee taken away So hee shutteth him up for a thousand yeers i.e. for that whole time that he will not have the Churches peace disturbed So far Alsonsus 9 There is a touch also in Matthew Cotterius in his Contin demonstrâ—expos of the Revelat. on Chap. 20. of this thousand yeers of which we speake onely he begins his thousand yeers a hundred and odd yeers too soon At which time as Alsted well observes is but the Praeludium 10 Adde to these the words of John Piscator an Author of esteem common among us in his Comment on the Revelation The happinesse of the faithfull who shall live upon earth after the down-fall of the Papacy is their great security from the hostile invasions of the wicked for a thousand yeers The singular happinesse of the Martyrs of Christ who before those thousand yeers indured persecution is their resurrection which shall be before the general Resurrection And in a Treatise hee wrote afore his death of which Dr. John Alsted had the perusall the said Piscator wrote much more of this our point which the said Alsted transcribed as he confesseth into his Treatise of the thousand yeers Give me leave to borrow but a little more of your patience and I will give you much in few words Many Writers of the former and this present age have published many things concerning Elias the Artist who is to come of the Lyon of the North who is neer at hand Of a fourth Northern Monarchy Of a great Reformation Of the conversion of the Jews c. See Theophrastus Paracelsus Michael Sendivogius in his Treatise of Sulphur Stephanus Pannonius of the circle of the works and judgements of God where among other things he writes thus It shall come to passe that the pure Gospel shall bee preached to the Americans before the end of the World That nothing is more sure then that the reformation of the East and South drawing on some famous Emperour whose types were Constantine and Theodosius both entituled the Great shall openly shew himselfe and granting liberty of Religion to them who professe the name of the holy Trinity shall do some great matter in the world for the glory of God for the re-building up of the Church and for the down-fall of Antichrist The Eastern Christians fired with the zeal of Christ shall make their way into ASIA it sâ—â—e and provoke the Jews to jealousie Rom. 11. And the spiritual babyâ—on shall be a prey to all Nations A resining of the Souldiers of God whereof is mention Zech. 13.8 9. i.e. Temptations and trials shall goe before this