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
City where our Lord was Crucified which is as well known at this time to the Churches to be Jerusalem by that Description as Mystery Babylon is known to be Rome by the Description given in that behalf But again we have more in this Case it 's told us That it 's the City which was spiritually called Sodom and Egypt Now we find Jerusalem so called Isa 1.10 Jer. 23.14 Perhaps you will say Rome's mystical Name was written in her Fore head Ergo She might be known by it also But pray hold John it 's true saw it so in the Vision but 't was not so plain but he still wondred and that with great admiration who this Harlot should be as you may see ver 6 7. And yet notwithstanding this at least equal nay more Plainness the Author makes this an Allegory as you may see p. 48 49 50. A mystical City mystical Prophets mystical Heaven And why not as well a mystical Christ and a mystical Crucifying in a mystical City viz. the Hearts of Men as William Pen the Quaker against Muggleton p. 58. and in his Vindication of George Fox p. 12. Sect. 6. But again Why must this City New-Jerusalem chap. 21. be an Allegory with this Author Is it because St. John had not so clear a sight of this City p. 17. 3. 21. 10. Certainly this cannot be supposed unless the Author imagines that the Wilderness will give a better Prospect of Mystery Babylon than a great and high Mountain will do of the New-Jerusalem which cannot lightly be supposed and 't is evident here 's as plain a Description of this as the other But he tells you p. 164. That it 's called an Allegory Gal. 4.24 Now whether New-Jerusalem be there so called I need give no other Answer but desire the Reader to see if he can find any such thing in that Text. 'T is evident to all that will not shut their Eyes 〈◊〉 11.10 That our God hath builded a City for his Saints and will one day bestow it upon Abraham and his Sons for a Reward of their Losses 〈◊〉 3.12 â—â—ap 21.2 and this City shall come down from God out of Heaven it 's for the Saints and therefore not the Saints as this Author affirms p. 156. The Saved Ones shall walk in it ver 24. Ergo Not the City it self There shall in NO WISE enter into it any thing that defileth c. ver 27. Which cannot be meant of the Church here in this mortal State before the Personal Coming of Christ in the primest and purest Age that ever was or shall be Further This Author will have the Dragon Rev. 12.9 and 20.2 to be allegorical or figurative viz. the Pagan Empire not any particular Person or Creature p. 14 15. although there 's none of those he calls plain things so plainly described He tells you of some places where some other are called the Devil Admit this to be true 't will not prove the other for not only in this Book of the Revelation but in the whole Bible there is not a plainer Speech And we may as well with the Quakers conclude that all the Scriptures that speak of the Devil are meant only of a mystical and figurative Devil And I dare say you may as soon find a Dolphin in the Wood as a Devil in Hell if this be not he for pray mark how our Lord describes him That old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole World If this can be applied to any other I must confess my self very ignorant therein But I rather conclude this Notion to be like W. Deusbery's Interpretation of Matth. 21. touching the Ass that Christ rode upon which he hath taken the Boldness to affirm That it was the wild Nature in all the Children of the Lord. Another saith That it was the Lord's People And G. W. a Quaker likewise upon Rev. 11.8 saith That City is the Rock of Ages And indeed if Men may take this Liberty in their interpreting Scripture then I may boldly say The plainest Scripture will not scape their Allegorizing Frames But now if this Book of the Revelation be the Key to unlock the whole Bible as this Author confesseth then 't is strange the Key should be made more difficult than the Lock for so indeed it is if the most part be an Allegory as this Man affirms it is It 's called not only A Revelation but The Revelation a wrong Name if this Man's Doctrine be true True it is that what is therein delivered as many other places of Scripture are is set forth by Metaphors but it follows not That therefore the Doctrine there delivered is in it self Allegorical or but Metaphorical For instance Chap. 1. The seven Churches are set forth by seven Golden Candlesticks and the seven Ministers or Messengers by seven Stars Now will any wise Man conclude these seven Churches and seven Messengers are but figurative Churches and Messengers and not really such And so Rome is set forth by a great and brave decked Harlot what then Chap. 17. must this be only a Figure viz. Rome and not a real City as some gether figurative and several others also but this Author acknowledges the contrary So of the Waters Again Chap. 12 chap. 20. the Devil is set forth by a great red Dragon a fit Similitude indeed But what then Must this Devil be nothing but a Figure still Sure in all such Figures there is something figured out that is really so â—â—p 11. So by the two Candlesticks and two Olive-Trees are set forth the two Prophets But what then Must these Figures be but a Figure of a Figure still although our Lord tells us plainly They are two Prophets set forth by these two famous Similitudes and describes their Work and the time of it with their Death how it shall be and by whom how long they shall lie dead and where and what shall be done to them in that time by their Enemies and also their perspicuous and dreadful Resurrection and Ascension All which cannot be applied to any thing else save two Persons 〈◊〉 his 48 49 Pages Yet this Author will have these two Prophets to be but figurative Prophets still viz. The Church of God and others of the same stamp with this Author Magistracy and Ministry by some the two Testaments c. O what strange stuff have we here Brave Interpreters of Scripture But let God be true though every Man a Liar True it is many things in this Book are delivered by Metaphors but not all and those that are so signify something that 's real Therefore according to this Author p. 3. the Consideration whereof calls for the greater Circumspection Wariness and Sobriety as indeed other Writings do wherein are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest to their own Destruction Pet. 3.16 I commit all that I have said to the Blessing of God
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
and the Consideration of his Churches W. S. The ANSWER to the First Book Intituled THEOPOLIS c. SIR I Have impartially read and seriously considered what you have writ in your Theopolis c. weighing it in the Ballance of the Sanctuary according to the Rules proposed by you and find it greatly wanting insomuch that I cannot but wonder you should take so much pains to so little purpose for all that you have said in my Judgment proves nothing for which you urge it viz. That the Saints shall reign a thousand Years upon Earth before Christ's Second Coming And that you may see your great Mistake herein I shall give a brief and plain Answer to what may seem most material therein for that purpose not in the least denying but plainly acknowledging the glorious Kingdom of Christ on Earth And first you tell us page 97 98. That there is a five-fold Kingdom belongs to Christ spoken of in the Scripture viz. 1st A Providential 2dly A Spiritual 3dly A Mystical 4thly A Monarchial or Davidical Kingdom 5thly A glorious Mysphatical Kingdom viz. The Soveraignty that Christ in Person with all the Saints in their glorified Bodies with him shall upon their general Resurection and Judgment exercise here upon the Earth before all is given up into the Father's hands And for want of a right distinguishing herein proceed as you humbly apprehend all the mistaken Notions and Differences about the Kingdom of Christ treated of in your Book And truly I do acquiesce with you herein for I conclude your wrong Distinction or Misapprehension of a five-fold Kingdom of Christ as thus distinguished by you is the great cause of all those your mistaken Notions about the Kingdom of Christ in your Book for to say nothing of four of your five I cannot yet see by all that you have said that the Holy Scripture speaks of your fourth Kingdom as distinguished by you from the fifth Kingdom which fourth you call a Monarchial or Davidical Kingdom that is to take place here over the Nations before the Second Coming of Christ but rather that the Holy Scripture is wholly a stranger to it And now I shall answer your Arguments urged on that account The first sort you direct your Reader to â—0 31 32. as most fit to be taken notice of in the first place are in number five urged by you to prove at least consequentially or in the second place That Christ will not come in Person at the beginning of the thousand Years Arg. 1 Your first Argument is Because his Personal Coming is not to be till the Judgment-Day And that say you is not to be till after the thousand Years and after the Battel of God and Magog meaning Gog c. Rev. 20.8 Answer The first part of this Argument I grant viz. That his Personal Coming is not to be till the Judgment-Day But the two last Branches I deny viz. That the Judgment-Day is not to be till after the thousand Years after the Battel of God and Magog For 't is evident to all that will not shut their Eyes that the Judgment-Day begins at the beginning of the thousand Years Rev. 20.4 AND I SAW THRONES AND THEY SAT VPON THEM AND JVDGMENT WAS GWEN VNTO THEM c. with the Chapter before compared with Dan. 7. where the same thing is spoken of He beheld the little Horn viz. the Man of Sin or great Antichrist make War with the Saints till the Antient of days comes and one like the Son of Man came to the Antient of days yea near before him and until the Throne were set or PITCHED DOWN so it is in the Original not thrown down And the Antient of days did SIT ver 9. with his Son brought near before him or set by him with the Saints ver 10.22 THE JVDGMENT WAS SET ver 10.26 Arg. 2 Because when he comes in Person 't is not to such a Work as this viz. to fight and subdue Enemies with material Swords nor to put his People as the Lamb's Army and Followers upon any such Service at that time being then all to be in the Resurrection and glorified State made like himself in Glory and as the Angels of God Neither will any of his Enemies be in a Capacity to make Resistance or Opposition who in their own Persons shall be destroyed by Fire and the very Earth they inhabit and all its Works burnt up and consumed at whose Presence the Earth and Heaven flee away Answer If by those words not to such a Work as this you mean not at all then I deny it and tell you 'T is to do such a Work as that Reason 1 You reason First Because Christ's People will be all in the Resurrection and glorified State made like himself in Glory and as the Angels of God Answer Now this Reason of yours I also deny and tell you You are greatly mistaken herein for although all the Saints that died in the Faith and are found alive in it when Christ comes in the Clouds c. shall then be raised changed and glorified and so said to be in the Resurrection c. yet all Christ's People that shall stand with him Rev. 14.1 Zech. 14.4 and follow him in that Army when he shall come down and stand upon Mount Zion and upon the Mount of Olives will not then be in the Resurrection viz. raised and glorified c. For part of those People and Followers or Army will be of the Jews who will not be converted till after the Resurrection of the fore-mentioned Saints and therefore not raised and so changed with them 'T is conspicuous enough that their Conversion will not be fully wrought till the Deliverer viz. Christ comes to Zion Isa 59.20 Rom. 11.25 26. Then shall he turn Vngodliness from Jacob Or more fully thus Our Lord Christ appearing in the Clouds of Heaven and the Saints Resurrection and Ascension up to him together with the wonderful things that shall be wrought then and Christ's coming down with his glorified Saints and Angels to deliver the whole House of Israel then remaining from the hand of their strong and mighty Enemies Isa 59.19 Ezek. 38.9.16 Zec. 14.2 3. that will come in like a Flood a Storm and Cloud to cover the Land yea all Nations gathered against Jerusalem to battel These things I say will produce the Jews Conversion or be the means to bring forth that Nation and therefore not till these things be accomplished shall that Nation be converted Ergo Not raised and changed but still in their mortal State Therefore according to your own Argument may under Christ do such a Service as above specified We are likewise told the Jews the number of whom Rev. 7.4 to the 8 Verse Verse 9. even of all the twelve Tribes of Israel will be one hundred forty four thousand who are distinguished from the innumerable Company of glorified Saints as you may clearly see Chap. 14. 1. These are said
to stand with the Lamb upon Mount Zion 〈◊〉 19 20. when the Sickle shall be thrust into the Harvest yea when the Wine-press shall be trodden without the City Jerusalem in the Valley of Jehoshaphat 〈◊〉 3.2 12 〈◊〉 14. when the Lord shall plead and decide the Controversy of his People and thresh the Nations by his Thresher 〈◊〉 4.13 i. e. the Daughter of Zion viz. the Inhabitants of Jerusalem or Jews yea at that Day when the Lord shall set his Feet upon the Mount of Olives which you acknowledg to be at the Personal Coming of Christ â—â—ech 14.4 4. and Day of Judgment p. 101. Then Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem Reason 2 Your next Reason is Because there will not be any of Christ's Enemies in a Capacity to make Resistance or Opposition at his Personal Coming Ergo. Answer The Answer to this shall be short by denying what you have said and I tell you That Enemies may be in a Capacity to oppose though not to overcome yea 't is well known a Child may oppose a Man a Dwarf a Giant But you tell us They will be destroyed by Fire then I confess they will be then incapable indeed when they are burned to Ashes But pray what is this to the purpose Will they not be in a Capacity before Or 2dly Will all Christ's Enemies be burned up before his Coming that none shall be left to make Resistance or Opposition at his Coming You have brought no Text to prove it and I know not of any Text that will do it therefore I conclude none are bound to believe you Reason 3 Lastly You tell us The very Earth they inhabit and all the Works thereof shall be burnt up and consumed at whose Presence the Earth and Heaven flee away Ergo No room for such a Work Answer But pray where doth Holy Scripture tell us so i. e. That the Heavens and Earth shall be consumed Doth not your Second in his Treatise p. 5. tell us That the Scripture doth not express an Annihilation thereof c. Again what though the Scripture speaks of such great things to be done in that great Day of the Lord yet doth it not follow from hence that all these shall be done in the first Hour of that Day and that before the Enemies make opposition Thus much in answer to the Reasons brought to prove your second Argument Arg. 3 Because such an Apprehension would make three Personal Comings of Christ whereas we read but of two Heb. 9.28 Who will appear the second time c. because it is expresly said He sits at the Right-hand of God till his Enemies be made his Foot stool Answer What such an Apprehension make three Personal Comings Yes it may be so if such a skilful Artist as your self had it in hand who have got the knack of Distinction who can divide and subdivide till you have made ten Corporal Resurrections of one as may be seen in your 53d page For without making three of two or two of one I am sure it cannot be done Again if but two Personal Comings then you infer this at the beginning of the thousand Years cannot be the second Personal Coming because say you 't is expresly said He sits at the Right-hand of God till his Enemies be made his Footstool Here you think you have your Antagonist fast and are invincible I confess you are safe enough yet whilst you have not here told us where 't is thus expressed and since I must also acknowledg if my Memory fail not 't is expresly said so in all the Books that ever I read about this Subject and they are more than a good many I mean those Books written for a thousand Years Reign before the Coming of Christ to the everlasting Shame and Consusion of your Faces who have time after time affirmed That this is expresly written in the Holy Scripture as we well know you intend in this place and as you else-where in your Book affirm for this is three times at least affirmed by this Author in his Book by which you have miserably deceived your selves and others as some in my hearing have confest Be not offended for herein I must be plain with you take it as you please Is it not to be wondred at that ever any Men of Learning and Conscience should bear the Face to affirm such a thing when I dare be bold to say there is not one place in all the Bible that saith so To mistake at some times in the business of Interpreting of Scripture is an Infirmity we cannot help though Caution had need be had therein especially in Cases of this nature but to transgress in this kind looks too much like Presumption This may serve for an Answer at present till I meet with it again Arg. 4 This conquering fighting Work is not by Christ in Person at this time of his glorious and terrible Appearing Answer This I deny but I will now hear your Reason Reason Because the Execution then upon the Enemies will be say you sudden and speedy like Travail upon a Woman with a Child as a Thief in the Night like Lightning as it was in the days of Lot and Noah with sudden Destruction and as a Snare will he come upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth This Work at Christ's Personal Coming will be done at an instant suddenly at the Sounding of a Trumpet in the Twinkling of an Eye whereas this Work asks time gradually to be performed And you comprehend in the first the Preparation for and Judgment of the great Whore c. Answer First I must tell you You have comprehended more into the thousand Years than will be for this Judgment of the great Whore will be before the thousand Years and not executed by Christ's Followers 〈◊〉 17.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14. but by them that afterward will give their Kingdom to the Beast and afterward make War with the Lamb. Secondly You say the Work of the beginning of the thousand Years asks some Time c. Ay And so will that also which will be done when Christ comes in Person for although 't is told us Christ shall come as a Thief c. viz. very suddenly and unexpectedly yet 't is not any where told us That Work that he shall then do shall be done as suddenly as a Thief cometh nay that very Similitude if you will follow it so far le ts us know the contrary for though a Thief in the Night comes suddenly yet he oft-times is long enough a doing his Work viz. Rifling and Robbing as some have sadly experienc'd So also tho Travail upon a Woman with Child cometh suddenly yet her Delivery asks some time and is not done in the Twinkling of an Eye â—en 7.12 7 24 â—hap 8 3. â—ompare â—hap 7 11. â—h Chap. â— 13 14. and so I may say of the days of Noah c. for though it was sudden yet you cannot but know the Waters were forty
Dead in Christ shall rise first Therefore how should Christ be the First-fruits and have the Pre-eminence if these must be said to be before him c. Ergo This may still be said and that in truth to be the first Resurrection notwithstanding what 's said by this Author from his several Instances to the contrary Arg. 5 The Bodily Resurrection cannot be here meant i. e. in this 4th Verse because that is not to be till a thousand Years after this as in this Chapter when all the Elements must give up their Dead Rev. 20.12 13. Answer This may yet be notwithstanding what you urge for these two Verses speak of what shall be after the thousand Years viz. of the rest of the Dead that were not raised at the beginning of the thousand Years expressed in these words The rest of the Dead lived not again until the thousand Years were finished This latter therefore is the second Resurrection The former ver 45. is the first Resurrection both which are here evidently distinguished also in 1 Cor. 15.23 24 25 26. that he that runs may read Arg. 6 This cannot be the Corporal Resurrection of the Saints for that cannot be till Christ's Personal Coming and Appearing and Day of Judgment 1 Thess 4.14 1 Cor. 15.23 2 Tim. 4.1 And as before Christ's Personal Coming is proved by many Arguments not to be till after the thousand Years and 't is as clear that the Judgment-Day is not till after the thousand Years and Destruction of the Gog-Magog Army Answer This Argument depends upon the former they being disproved this falls with them Yet take this further Answer Your Reason to prove it cannot be the Corporal Resurrection of the Saints is Because the Corporal Resurrection of the Saints cannot be till Christ's Personal Coming and Appearing and Day of Judgment Pray where find you these three Distinctions according to your Notion viz. Coming Appearing and Day of Judgment in all these three Texts by you cited True it is here are three words but not your three viz. Coming Appearing and Kingdom But what ground have you to distinguish between his Coming and Appearing This by the way Further Pray who ever affirmed that the Saints should be raised before Christ's Personal Coming And what you further add That 't is as clear that the Judgment-Day is not till after the thousand Years I answer If by the word not you mean not at all then I deny it and tell you That the Judgment-Day shall begin at the beginning of the thousand Years See for this in the Answer to the 3d Argument Further Pray mind the Text you have now cited viz. 2 Tim. 4.1 Who shall judg the Quick and Dead at his Appearing and Kingdom And 't is in this place said Judgment was given to the Saints that sat upon these Thrones Rev. 20.4 which was at the beginning of the thousand Years And in 1 Cor. 15. as the Resurrection of the Just and Unjust so consequently the Judgment For 't is evident he must reign till he hath put all his Enemies under his Feet which cannot be till they are raised which will not be till the end of his Kingdom as ver 24 25 26 27 28. Arg. 7 This cannot be the Corporal Resurrection of the Saints because it inverts Christ's Order which is to be at the Sounding of the last Trumpet the time of the living Saints change the time that is expressed to be the last Day which is the Judgment-Day but this a thousand Years before all Answer This Argument differs little or nothing from the last except only a Change of words and so serves only to make up the number as any one may see that minds them But now I deny such an Opinion inverts Christ's Order though I grant all your Particulars urged to demonstrate it for all these are to be at the beginning of the thousand Years viz. the Sounding of the last Trumpet living Saints changed last Day Christ's Coming and Judgment-Day as is clear Rev. 11.15 to the end Arg. 8 Because if Corporal and to be understood of Martyrs only then all the Dead at the last Day shall be raised to the second Death contrary to Job 5.24 6.39 40 44 45. Dan. 12.2 and they only Martyrs Priests to God contrary to 1 Pet. 2.5 9. Rev. 1.6 Answer This is Idem per Idem with your second Argument and so only serves still to make up the number and therefore I refer you and the Reader to the Answer made to that Argument Arg. 9 Because if this be understood to be the Resurrection of all the Saints who in that mortal and glorified State are to live and reign the thousand Years in and over the World It necessarily infers these strange Absurdities Absurd 1 First That glorified and unglorified mortal and immortal Bodies must converse together contrary to express Scripture 1 Tim. 6.16 c. Answer To all which take this brief Answer And first I deny it to be any Absurdity for glorified and unglorified mortal and immortal Bodies to converse together For hath it not been known that often Angels and Men have conversed together yea the very Instances you give i. e. of Moses and the Disciples of Christ at his Transfiguration and Paul in the Vision and I may â—â—d Israel Deut. 5.24 and Moses Aaron and the 70 Elders Exod. 24.10 11. and the Disciples of Christ with him after his Resurrection 40 Days All which do abundantly shew that mortal and immortal ones have conversed without any Consumption upon Mortals and if so why shall it be thought absurd for Men when immortalized or changed to converse with Men not changed What you say further from 1 Tim. 6.16 and Exod. 33.20 touching the Impossibility of any Mortal approaching into the Light which Christ dwells in and to see God c. Take notice you now dispute beyond the due bounds of the Question for the Question is not whether Mortals may converse with God and that now but whether mortal and immortal Men can converse together More might be said to this but I pass it What you seem to hint at i. e. of the glorified Saints conversing with the Wicked I neither well know what you mean nor of any that affirm such a thing therefore shall pass it by and proceed to your second Absurdity Absurd 2 It holds out That some glorified and unglorified Saints shall at this time converse together viz. those that are raised from the dead with those that are then upon the Earth when the Scripture tells us 1 Cor. 15.51 52. that at the same instant that the dead Saints are raised the living Saints are changed c. Because when Christ comes he must have all the Saints come with him who are raised changed and glorified taken up into the Air to meet him and in that State are ever with him not one Saint being to be left behind Answer What doth this make for you Could you ever imagine that any