is variously taken sometimes literally for the natural Spirit or eternal Life and Death sometimes figuratively for a civil or mystical Life and Death For the latter you give us several Scriptures which I have seriously considered and find that many of them speak not of any Life or Death at all several more speak of the natural Death and the Resurrection therefrom But now admitting this that there is such a thing as a civil Life spoke of in these or some of them the Question then is Whether this be intended in your Text Rev. 20.4 which is now the Matter we are upon And for a leading Card you present us p. 51. with the Assemblies Annotations upon this place which we shall not much regard seeing their Interpretations especially upon this Book of the Revelation are so like some others viz. It 's this or that or the other and sometimes fix upon nothing and also as inconsistent and contradictory to themselves as they are to the Truth as any one may see that reads them After which rate any Man may interpret Scripture all day long â—â—e the Asâ—â—mblies Anâ—t on Rev. â—0 4 5 6. And in this very place you may see they tell us also That this first Resurrection is a Rising from the Death of Sin to the Life of Grace And no marvel that poor deluded Sect of Quakers have got this by the end viz. to call the rising out of the Death of Sin to the Life of Grace the first Resurrection and Pythagoras's Transmigration of the Soul the second Resurrection since our grave Annotators have thus led the Van as the Papists did in this thing before them â—ee Rhemish â—est Annot. â— Rev. 20. 〈◊〉 Therefore as we are not to mind them in the one we shall as little regard them in the other and so pass on to your Position p. 51. which is as followeth Position And that the Corporal Resurrection of the Saints cannot be understood in this place further appears Arg. 1 Because the Text in the Letter of it speaks not of their Bodies but Souls and of the Souls only of them that were beheaded as Rev. 6.9 Now it is no-where said that Souls in a proper Sense revive and are raised because they never die being immortal and so not capable of a Resurrection necessitating therefore another Sense Answer Although you tell us that your Position further appears viz. by your Arguments than it did by the Assemblies Annotations yet I must tell you 't is yet alike and no better demonstrated and I cannot but wonder that so skilful a Man in Figures should no better discern the Text nor what makes for or against himself For if this Argument hit your Antagonist will it not as quickly return against your self It will seem to do your Assembly of Annotators some Service for their Spiritual Resurrection viz. the Renewing of the Souls or their Notion of the Soul 's Living and Reigning with him in Heaven but it makes against your self unless you intend by your Civil Life that the Saints shall reign a thousand Years without their Bodies and then it would follow the Wicked reign now without their Bodies also This might suffice for an Answer but that I may not leave any in the dark and therefore pray remember that by a Figure called Metonymy viz. one thing is put for another that hath some relation to it so we find the Soul is put for the Body in several places of Scripture as Psal 16.10 Acts 2.27 and so also by a Figure called Synechdoche Gen. 46.2 Acts 2.4 Chap. 7. 1. viz. a part put for the whole is frequently found in this very case in Scripture and the one of these must needs be here intended and very probable the latter The Apostle chooses to express their Souls now because he had seen their Souls in the separated State Chap. 6. 9 10 11. crying out and wishing for such a time as this and therefore here to shew the Alteration saith thus I saw the Souls c. which is as much as if he had said I saw those Souls that before were without their Bodies under the Altar with their fellow Slain Servants and in that State said to be dead united to their Bodies and live again and reign with Christ And that this must needs be the Sense and no other consider First They were really dead expressed by this word Beheaded and now said to live again for so it is by the Antithesis The rest lived not again Secondly This is expressed after the same manner as our Lord expresses his living again Chap. 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore which is a Living again Thirdly What is more usual in Scripture than this both in respect of natural and eternal Death to speak after this manner So many Souls were slain or died the Soul that sinneth shall die and so of Life Fourthly It 's obvious to all from these words See Chap. 6. 11. Chap. 11. 〈◊〉 Chap. 12. 11. Chap. 13. 15. The rest of the dead that the lump or general is That many are dead both Saints and Wicked among which you have an Account before in this Book that many Saints are killed immediately before and of the great Slaughter of the Wicked at several times and divers ways as in this Book at large may be seen and at last that wonderful Slaughter Chap. 19. to which this is joined as appears by this word And in the first Verse of this 20th Chapter And now of this dead Lump whereof many of the Saints are said to be beheaded immediately before some are said to live again But the rest of the Dead viz. the Wicked whereof many were as aforesaid but immediatly slain lived not again till the thousand Years were expired Thus it 's evident that both Saints and Wicked were all dead before viz. a natural or corporal Death the one are raised the other not but lie in their Graves till after the thousand Years Fifthly Consider the Antithesis which you have already granted viz. that Life and Death are the same in both Parties Mark that And if the Wicked shall never live the Civil Life as you have defined it after the thousand Years then it must be meant a Corporal Life But the Wicked shall not live such a Mystical or Civil Life viz. Reigning Ergo It must needs be a Corporal Life here intended The Consequence of the Major is clear the Minor is proved thus If the Wicked shall live again such a Life viz. Civil as before defined after the thousand Years Then the Holy Scripture doth some where or other testify of it But the Holy Scripture doth no where testify of any such thing Ergo They shall not All that you bring to prove it is but Rev. 20.8 9. which proves no such thing for there 's no Reigning mentioned nay so far from Reigning that it 's only attempted to overcome whereby they might
were so ignorant as to intend by such a Conversing that those Saints that shall remain alive till Christ comes should continue in a mortal State during the thousand Years But you further tell us That when Christ comes he must have all the Saints come with him who are raised c. You did very well to put in these words who are raised c. for who think you will oppose you here I say again certainly none will be so weak as to affirm that any of these shall be left behind But shall there be no other Men left behind is now the Question for satisfaction read Matth. 24.40 41. Luke 17.34 35 36. Zech. 14.16 Again Though all those that died and shall be found in the Faith when Christ comes shall be raised and changed yet this follows not that there shall be none converted at and after his Coming who will not then viz. at that instant be changed with whom those glorified Ones many converse But you come after with this Reason which you think cuts off all viz. Because Christ shall come in flaming Fire against them that know him not nor obey his Gospel the Day of Grace being then over and none to be converted after that Answer First take notice that although he shall come in flaming Fire c. yet the Holy Scripture no where tells you That all Men that are upon the Earth the glorified Saints here excepted shall be burnt up Neither doth it any where tell you that the Day of Grace shall be so over as that there shall be no Day of Grace to any after that time nor that none shall be converted at or after the coming of Christ neither is any thing like it in all the Book of God but the contrary And whereas you hint at the Parable of the Virgins Matth. 25. as a Ground for this your Conception pray consider these were not only Persons that had the Day of Grace before allowed them to whom the Gospel was preached but were Members of the Church of Christ and therefore no marvel that it will be too late for such to get Oil in the Vessel when Christ comes But what 's this to the purpose respecting others not in that Capacity but under other Circumstances But now to your 3d Absurdity Abs That whereas Christ saith The last Enemy is Death Here the raised Saints after Death are to meet with another Enemy viz. the Gog-Magog Army Answer What though the Apostle Paul which I suppose you mean tells us The last Enemy is Death 1 Cor. 15. yet he doth not there tell you this Enemy of Christ shall be destroyed at the very instant when the Saints that died before Christ's Coming shall be raised Neither is it any where else so written but the contrary Read the 24th and 25th Verses from whence it is evident that this Enemy Death shall not be destroyed till the end of Christ's Reign And 't is as plain Rev. 20. that the Gog-Magog Army shall make that Attempt and be destroyed immediately before the last Resurrection or Destruction of Death True it is the Saints before-mentioned shall through Christ get the Victory over Death before so did our Lord at his Resurrection But I presume you will not say he did then destroy Death for Victory and Destruction are two things Thus I have shewed that this Opinion you contend against infers no such Absurdities I come now to your 10th Argument This cannot be the Corporal Resurrection because it is said expresly That during this thousand Years c. the Saints shall build plant marry and give in Marriage enjoy the Works of their Hands be liable to Death c. Which is utterly inconsistent with the Resurrection-State Luke 20.34 35. Answer Here you reason fallaciously for you cannot but know the word Saints is an ambiguous word and ought not to be disputed from unless explained for though our Lord tells us the Children of the Resurrection shall not marry viz. when raised yet he no where tells us that Saints shall not marry in the thousand Years viz. fuch as are in a mortal State Thus this Argument falls to the ground like its Fellows Therefore lastly It will follow that if it be neither the Corporal Spiritual nor Eternal Life that is here meant to the which the Saints are raised then must it be the Mystical or Civil Life c. Answer This last is built upon all the rest especially as it respects the Corporal Resurrection To which there needs no other Answer but this viz. If there be no weight in them then this must needs be too light also and that they are so let the Arguments and Answers be compared and I leave it to every unbiassed and impartial Reader to judg As for those five Arguments in your large Sheet or any elsewhere in the Book they are either the very same with some of these sixteen that I have answered or else comprehended in them and therefore I suppose need no particular Answer I shall therefore proceed to the second Author to answer his Arguments or Demonstrations as he calls them which are in number six A Brief ANSWER to Six Demonstrations as the Author calls them laid down by T. M. in his Treatise of The New Heavens and New Earth pag. 8. to evince this for a Truth That the thousand Years Reign of the Saints with Christ will be before and so without his Personal Presence on Earth Or before the Second Coming of Christ as Title-page Demonst THE thousand Years is set forth in Scripture and so generally understood to be a time of Peace Plenty Liberty and Rejoicing of the whole Earth But when Christ comes in Person it produces an universal Destruction and Astonishment to the World Rev. 6.15 Every Bondman and every Free-man crying to the Rocks c. so Rev. 1.7 Matth. 24.30 Answer This Demonstration is fallacious in that it unites where it should divide and is true in one sense and false in another As to your first Proposition of this Demonstration If by time of Peace c. you mean only and altogether without any War or Destruction as that 's your Meaning or else you give away the Cause And by the whole Earth you intend every Man upon the face of the Earth all the time of the thousand Years then I deny this Proposition and tell you That the Scripture no where sets out the thousand Years to be such a Time neither is it generally so understood as you affirm nay so far from being generally so understood that I know of none at all that understand it so Doth not your self hold that there shall be War in the thousand Years and therefore you frequently call the first part of that time The smiting part as may be seen in the first Author's large Sheet and frequently in his Book But now to your second Proposition of this Demonstration If by universal Destruction and Astonishment to the whole World you mean every Person in the World
first Author therefore my Answer to that in my 5th Page might suffice to which I refer you But I 'll add a few words because we have a little more in this The first Author both in his third Argument and again in his large Sheet tells us that it is expresly said in the Scripture That Christ shall continue and sit at the Right-hand of God till all his Enemies be made his Footstool or destroyed But he had that Policy in both these places not to tell us where 't was thus expressed fave as aforesaid But this hath told us where i.e. Psal 110.1 Acts 3.21 I suppose he means Acts 2.34 35. Which places I have well considered and find no such thing neither in Words nor Sense nor in any other place of Sacred Scripture True it is thus written The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my Right-hand until I make thine Enemies thy Footstool But not until I have made them so Now who is so weak that cannot see a Difference between these two words It 's well known the one viz. until I make speaks of a Work to be done and so respects the beginning of that Time when this must be set about The other viz. until I have made speaks of a Work done and so respects the end of Time Therefore consider how you have abused these Texts and led many an unwary Reader aside making this the Foundation to build this your Principle upon For you cannot but know that to Change Add or Take away from a Word but so much as one Letter quite alters and destroys the Sense as hath been told the Quakers in Print who are much guilty herein or at least their Advocate W. L. For that Instance in 1 Cor. 15.51 it 's said We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed Leave out but the Letter C and then it must be read We shall all be hanged And the like in changing a Letter as might be shewed as you have now done in taking away K and putting in D instead of it and more than this in adding the word Be which you are forced to do or some such word of the same Sense or else you can make no Sense of it in the Reading And more yet in adding the word All as the first Author hath done and the Latter in effect If that Printer in King James's time was fined a thousand Pounds because the Particle Not was lest out of the Seventh Commandment What shall they be thought worthy of that both change in respect of Letter and add Words to what is written to the total Destruction of the true Sense thereof Read and fear what 's said Rev. 22.18 19. Object But possibly some may object and say Although the word Made be not in the Text cited yet 't is in Heb. 10.12 13. Answer True it is so but then pray mark 't is not here said He shall sit at the Right-hand of the Father till his Enemies be made his Footstool but thus This Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever sat down on the Right-hand of God From henceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Footstool Which alters the case For who is there but will grant this viz. his Expectation from that Day forward that such a Work shall be done and yet deny that he shall sit there till it be done for as he in Heaven so we on Earth expect this viz. that his and our Enemies shall be made his Footstool But what 's this to the Case in hand Ergo Your Conclusion That Christ's Coming is after the thousand Years or that he will not come a thousand Years before the subduing of Gog and Magog Rev. 20.8 9. is altogether false Demonst 6 Neither is Gog his last Enemy but Death is so called 1 Cor. 15.26 Therefore Christ's Coming is not till he comes to swallow up Death in Victory ver 54. in the Resurrection of the Saints See above Answer This Demonstration I grant in all the Parts or Branches of it except your Therefore First Your Antecedent That Gog is not the last Enemy but that Death is so called 1 Cor. 15. 2dly Your Consequence or Conclusion though not from these Premises Christ's Coming is not till he comes to swallow up Death in Victory in the ver 54. Resurrection of the Saints But now what 's this to the Question viz. That Christ's Coming is after the thousand Years You bid us see above and I refer you to the abovesaid Answers But I suppose here lies your Mistake as this Demonstration implies i. e. that you account Destruction and Victory both one thing and therefore you argue from the one viz. Destruction to the other viz. Victory A strange Mistake and as strange Arguing of a wise Man Do not all Men know that although sometimes they may go together yet they are two distinct things and very frequently go asunder viz. the Victory before the time of Destruction Instances hereof enough among Men might be produced if need were And 't is as true in this case 'T is well known our Lord himself got the Victory over Death when he rose from the dead yet did not then destroy Death so the Saints through Christ get the Victory over Death at their Resurrection yet Death shall not then to wit at that very instant be destroyed And our Apostle very wisely makes the Distinction in that 1 Cor. 15.23 24 25 26. and this very Verse viz. 54. He doth not say That at the Saints or first Resurrection shall be brought to pass the Saying O Death or O Grave I will be thy Destruction But that Saying Death is swallowed up in Victory And herein you greatly contradict your self in making these two one viz. Destruction and Victory or contemporary namely at the Resurrection of the Just or first Resurrection For in your 9th and 10th Pages you tell us The Wicked shall not be raised till after the Saints nay that many things shall pass or be done between the Resurrection of the Just and Unjust Now if this be true as I grant it is then by your own Grant Death will not be destroyed at the first Resurrection since it shall hold the rest down after that is past And this is evident from both Isaiah from whence the Apostle hath these words and from 1 Cor. 15. also Ergo I conclude from this your Demonstration or the Consequence thereof that since Christ shall come Personally at the first Resurrection and that will be as I have shewed at the beginning of the thousand Years that then the thousand Years are not before nor without but with his Personal Presence on Earth Thus much in answer to your Six Demonstrations A POSTSCRIPT READER this Treatise was wholly composed and designed for the Press some Years past as may be conceived by some Passages in the Epistle But for some Reasons of no necessity herein to be inserted came not forth till now and I hope may be as