least Shadow of any Favour to the Horrid Anticristianisms of Popery in the sudden Resolve to be a Papist if one Humane Angel or Governour over all the Christian Churches could be suppos'd to be the Institution of Christ For certainly if such a Love of Pre-eminence had not been Cursed by God as making Preparation for the Man of Sin to sit so High in the Temple of God and to let into it the Desolating Abomination That might have been the most pardonable Errour in Popery Especially according to even Protestant Episcopal Principles For They beginning at Deacons as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or First Degree that the Apostle intended go up to Priests from Priests to Archdeacons or Deans from them to Bishops from Bishops to Archbishops and why not to Patriarchs as Primitive And why not from thence as All Heighth would Culminate to One to the Pope as the Head of Vnity and Order the Vicar of Christ the Successor of Saint Peter who is Nam'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if a Scandal were laid into that Philoprotensia if I may so call it that Primating Affectation But All Sincere Protestants though most Episcopal Abhor the Dreadful Consequences from such a Primacy as the Papaoy Claims not only over Consciences but over Princes and Civil Powers in Ordine ad Spiritualia or to Infamous Ends call'd Spiritual which Spirituality I am very prone to suspect was Foretold in the Holy Spirit 's Choice of that Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 11. 8. and that it does not only signifie Spiritually viz. Mystically but is also Prophetick of that Great use Anticbrist should make of that Word Spiritual On which Account I cannot but pray All Protestants might get from under the Fathality of that Word any way Secularly Apply'd as also from any Primacy Allied to the Feet of Clay I have so Great an Honour and Love for many who stand so high in as They are call'd Spiritual Dignities who I am bound to hope are yet in their Truly Chief Scituation Stars in the Right Hand of Christ But the Chief Reason I make this Digression is that I may observe how far One may be from such Portentous Consequences that may seem yet to have some Ground Such are charg'd on me on Dr. Crisps Account All which I detest with Greatest detestation as I Fully Believe he did but minded only to Give the Full Consolation to Consciences Arising from Christ being an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ransom in our Steed a Sacrifice a Surety and Sin for us and designing All his discourses of These Things to be Confin'd to the Elect only who shall All be brought in by Christ and Receive an Efficacious Spirit of Holiness and Perseverance But to Return to the Thousand Years which I have Affirm'd to be the Perfection of Time Because It is the Fulness of Times or of All Times to which the Scripture therefore Sets up as Pillars Two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or It is Done It is Done One of Destruction to the Wicked One of Salvation to the Saints Therefore I Avouch a Scripture Line of Time from the First Sabbath to this Great Sabbatism in Express either Historick first or afterwards Prophetick number'd Nambers And because This is a Divine Chronology It is not subject to the endless Contrasts and Feuds of Greatest Chronologers never to be Reconciled by Persons of Greatest Learning Reading and Judgment much less by Me less than the least of the Sons of Learning not Worthy to be Nam'd among Them Yet by the Grace of God in this Matter I Am what I Am and hold in my Hand the Unerring Clew of His Word THE END Some small Errata The understanding Reader will pardon and mend I only note page 9. line 16. for Believ'd read Beloved p. 13. l. 24. for pro. read premises p. 28. l. 35. for Effec Read Affection p. 29. l. 30. read that before Kingdom A POSTSCRIPT TO THE READER Concerning the Thousand Years further Cleared SInce the Finishing of the Fore-going Discourse as I was in Earnest Thought about the Clearing the Due Assignation of the Thousand Years To the Saints of the First Resurrection Reigning with Christ To the Wicked Raised but not Reigning with Christ and so not Living And to the Saints the Living and the Remaining or Left under a Guard of Life Secur'd from the Sword of Him that Sat on the Horse and so never Dying To every of which Classes the Thousand Years are plainly and without any violence in the Threefold mention of the Thousand Years Vers 4 5 6. Assign'd It yet seem'd a Doubt to Me Worthy of a further Illustration Where the universality of the Raised Saints Concerning which the Apostle is so clear That Christ brings Them with Him should be plac'd Because They could not with such Satisfaction be Repos'd either with the Martyrs and Non-Worshippers of the Beast c. Nor with the Partakers of the First Resurrection who though Chang'd are not â—aught up till a Thousand Years after which I never yet see Disprov'd Although because Scripture is so Positive All the Dead in Christ rise first They must have been Included in One of those Two And I did accordingly in the foregoing Treatise Incline to place Them among the Martyrs page 30. line 1. But yet a Desire of a further Explanation remain'd with me And I hope I may say without vanity God hath helped me And I Found Their Seat is distinct and in the First Place viz. In those words I saw Thrones and They Sate upon them and Judgment was given to Them most Agreeable with Daniel's Prophecy Chap. 7. v. 26 27. Who therefore are the They who Sate on Thrones I know it may be said No More was meant but that the Thrones were Sat upon as They shall require thy Soul Luke 12. 20. and They may Receive You Chap. 86. v. 9. But considering the following words Judgment was given to Them cannot be thus any fair way Expounded I conclude The They must Relate to some Persons spoken of before and who should They be but Those Signified by the Armies of Heaven Chap. 19 14. who Followed Christ on white Horses in Linnen white and clean Most Admirably Agreeing with the Prophet Zechary The Lord my God will come and All Thy Saints with Thee Zech. 14 5 With the Apostle Paul 1 Thess 4. 14. Those that Sleep in Jesus will God bâ—ing with Him With the Epistle of Jude Reciting Enoch's Prophecy v. 14. The Lord cometh with Ten Thousand of his Saints c. Whâ—n therefore the Prophecy had Disposed of â—he several Enemies of Christ as the Beast and false Prophet Chap. 19. Cast into ehe Lake and the Remnant Slain with the Sword of Christ's Moâ—th and Satan the Dragon bound c. Then it gives Account of the Armies of Heaven that were with Christ in this Victorious Dispose And of Them It says I Saw Thronâ—s and They Those Armies Sate upon them and Judgment was given to Them And so being in the Fore-Front or First Set on the Thrones must needs Reign with Christ the Thousand Years Allowing therefore not only the Scripture-way of giving Account of Things not in such a Method as Humane Writings observe and much more allowing for the Secrecy of Prophecy This is to Me a Full Satisfactory Account and I hope it will not be unworthy the Consideration of All who are Serious Considerers of these Things Then follows the Account of All Suffering for the Witness of Jesus and for the Word of God Surely from the Beginning of the World but with an especial Reference to the Roman way of Punishment of such Offenderâ— shewing a Direct Eye upon Roman-Martyrdoms by Beheading as John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul said to be But most particularly the Non-Worshippers of the Beast who are so particularly Recorded for Three Reasons 1. Because hereby the Judgment upon Them as Hereticks and Rebels to the Government of Christ as Antichrist pretended is as an Attainder by an Illegal Power Signally taken off 2. That the Prophecy all along before Insisting upon the Beast his Image c might have the Due Honour given to it by placing a peculiar Remark upon the Principal Subjects of it So that it is most Admirable how any Rational Considerer of the Prophecy can suppose Pagan Rome Falling about 300 Years after Christ s Resurrection should Take up such a Prophecy against so manifest Assurances that it must Run on to the End of the World That even the Wisest Papist cannot Deny it But what Violence must They use to it that Believe the Papacy to be the Beast and yet so begin the Thousand Years That they must be long ago before Him Finish'd Could such a Prejudice be brought from this Prophecy or Scripture in general against my Doctrine of the Thousand Years Kingdom or such a Proof against me as I have given of the Flying away Revel 2â— Of the New Heavens and the New Earth I would be so Retracting indeed as Immediately to Retract and even to Recant In the mean Time as I have Stated Things I fear no Accessions to Mahomet by My Doctrine of the Kingdom of Christ.
Christians exhorted to Take heed of falling from their own Firmament or Firmation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 17. That They may shine as that Firmament Dan 12. 3. 4. Their Wresting of Scriptures to their own Perdition Universally more Particularly the Prophecies for their own Papal Kingdom and against the Kingdom of Christ And that Discourse of the Apostle Paul 2 Thes 2. They Writhe wholly from Themselves which would They have Observed it and ask'd as Judas their Type Is it I It would have Answered Them as Christ did Him Thou sayest This is a Great Brand by which the Son of Perdition with all his Adherents may be known whose Character is as the Judasses of the Christian Church Son of Perdition and Two Times Going into Perdition Compare John 17. 12. 2 Thess 2 13. Revel 17. v. 8. v. 11. These Remarks upon the Apostle Peter's Prophecy as I style it I have been larger upon to shew I am Conscious of no Recoyl of Mind concerning it and though some Things may seem wiredrawn yet the Manner and Symmetry of Prophecy the Great Rule of its Interpretation will Justifie me Argum. 4. I do indeed so Rely upon the Prophecy Revel 20. Concerning the Thousand Years that if I had only that Scripture I should think it sufficient although it be but One and although it be Propheick Because I find the Letter so Express as that the Thousand Years are no less than Six several Times Named And I Observe the Apostle's Discourse upon Melchisedech so Weighty so Large with so severe a Reproof of the Unteachableness of Christians concerning it Heb. c 5. â—0 c. 6 1. with Reâ—erence to it throughout c 7. All of it to be Suspended upon One single Oracle and that Prophetick also Psal 110. 4. The Lord hath Sworn and will not Repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedech Referring to a small Historick Memoir Genes 14 18. 19 20. and that on purpose Contriv'd to be Dark and under a Veiâ— Yet the Apostle severely Reproves a Dulness of Hearing of it Whereas the Christians then might have said We Desire only plainer more undoubted Truths more genearlly Treated Principles and fundamental Points But the Apostle Silently Threatens the Danger of Ayostacy on not Going on to Perfection by grounding his so Earnest Exhortation to Go on upon that Danger of Apostacy without so Doing And indeed there is Great Reason to think a Prediction of the Great Antichristian Apostacy in the Bulk not to be Repented of not to be Renewed to Repentance according to Râ—vel 16. is lodg d in it and that That very Apostacy came in upon the Ignorance of and not Acquiescency in Christ's Melchisedechian Priesthood after the Power of an endless Life but setting up that Kingdom and Priesthood in Counterfeit For what is the Melchisedechian Priesthood of Christ but a Priesthood on a Throne Zech. 6. 13 And what is the Papacy but a Counterfeit of that a Priest on a Throne the False Propbecy Included also as the True is in the Priesthood of Christ And why was this Golden Calf Idolatry brought in by that false Aaron as his Vicar but to supply the Absence of Christ Gone up to the Mount and not knowing That it is Witnessed of him He liveth and is as Active for his Church and Saints Above as Below while on Earth so far as is necessary till he brings forth all his Saints Appearing also in the Glory of his Melchisedechiaâ— Priesthood as Kings and Priests also But to Return to the Prophecy Revel 20. I observe as I have already observed There is not only the Shell or Words but the Deep Reason of Things as All Prophecy and most particularly all the Lines of the Revelation before it Run into It and Center in it and All Require such a Kingdom of such a State of New Heavens and New Earth and of a Duration of Time that may speak Perfection to Accomplish Them And that Duration this Prophecy Declares to be a Thousand Years and then All to be Drawn up into Eternity and no otherwise to End Argum. 5. The Observation upon the Thousand Years I made heretofore in my Patriarchal Line p. 58. does much sway my Judgment still concerning the Thousand Years Kingdom of Christ viz. By the Recollection of each Patriarch's Life whol and together is most Pompously set out That none of these Holy Men Attain'd a Full Thousand Years of Life though some Life 's swell'd so much above Nine hundred as if they would mount to a Thousand yet it was said to Them Hitherto shall you come and no further for a Thousand in Sacred Record is a Number of Perfection that is not Allowed to any Years of Life in Adam's Apostate State but Reserv'd for the Restitution of the Second Adam and p. 165. As if the Thousand Years were a Tree of Life Guarded with Cherubims that none might Take of it Enoch had a particular Exemption of not Dying yet no One might be in a Visible State on Earth One Thousand Years wherein I am Confirm'd by Reading what Dr. Sherlock so Reverend so Learned so Considering and so far from what is call'd Fanaticism as every One knows hath written in his Excellent and Generally Acceptable Practical Discourse of Death p. 129 130. Wherein it is most Considerable that he Writes not as having Espous'd the Opinion of the Thousand Years Kingdom of Christ nor was Intentionally Writing upon it But so Discerning and Quick-sighted a Person was struck with its Beams of Light and Truth while he was upon another View And thus he Writes The longest Term of Humane Life after the Sentence of Death passed on Man was a Thousand Years And Comparing this Observation with that Promise of a Thousand Years Reign with Christ which is call'd the First Resurrection and is â—he Portion only of Martyrs and Confessors and pure and sincere Christians Revel 20. I have been apt to Conclude To live a Thousand Years is the Priviledge only of Immortal Creatures That if Adam had continued Innocent he should have liv'd no longer upon Earth but have been Translated to Heaven without Dying For this Thousand Years Reign of the Saints with Christ whatever that Signifies seems to be Intended as a Reparation of Death which They fall under by Adam's Sin But then these Thousand Years do not put an End to the Happiness of those Glorious Saints but they are Immortall Creatures And though this Reign with Christ continues but a Thousand Years Their Happiness shall have no End though the Scene may change and vary for over such the Second Death shall have no power Or else this Thousand Years Reign with Christ must signifie an Eternal and Vnchangeable Kingdom a Thousand Years being a certain Earnest of Immortality But there is an Unanswerable Objection against that Because we read of the Expiring of those Thousand Years and what shall come after them even the Final Judgment of all the World This is a Great
seen in Speculo Divinitatis in that Infinite Mirrour of the Divine Nature And herein I Relye on the very Words of Scripture that cannot be over-rul'd And seeing God hath been pleas'd to make the Humane Nature of Christ and the Union of his Saints to himself Unchangeable as himself So far am I from supposing a Fall from that State the Exaltation of them to Closest Approximation to that Glory to Eternity that was from Eternity is the Cessation of Oeconomy and the perfect Eternal State wherein the Saints are Equal to Angels and need them not for their Enjoyment but as All meet in God On the contrary though Devils and Lost Spirits have all the Sense and Action Agreeable to their Lost State Yet it is not such kind of Hostile Action as now They are Exercis'd in but are in as perfect a State of Suffering as and above All we can conceive and so for ever and in the most Unchangeable Misery And whereas a Political Conception of the Eternal King his Laws and Subjects seems to Require Another State or order then this I Assert Yet as from Eternity Supreme Dominion was Essential to God even as Mercy Goodness Truth before any Subjects capable to Exercise them upon So to Eternity without any such Administration as according to Political Laws we Apprehend and have known here But who can sail in this Infinite Ocean now without the having All Thought and Understanding Lost in that Infinity But this is certain God is a King Eternal as well as Immortal Invisible and the Only Wise God To Him therefore be Glory be for ever And in All this I most humbly Acknowledge Jesus Christ God and Man the Mediator even the Mediator of this union to Eternity But the very Nature of a Mediator is not that he should be Our utmost Objective Rest but that as All Scripture speaks He should Bring us to God even God All in All by several Degrees the Highest of which is his own Kingdom and at last to the most Immediate union in and by Himself which is the Kingdom of Eternity And thus I have endeavour'd to make plain that the Kingdom of Christ as in the Judgment Given to Him as the Son of Man enstated in a World to come of New Heavens and a New Earth does not Last for ever but is as in our Law a Lease for a Year to put into Possession that the Eternal Inheritance may vest in us I come in the Last place to Clear my Hypothesis in these Great Points from the Supposition that there may be other Worlds besides the World present that is now near 6000 Years old and that World to come of the Kingdom of Christ whereof I Speak and then the whole deliver'd up to God All in All either as Angels and Saints in Glorious Bodies in union to Him or as Lost â—pirits and Spirits in Bodies so Subdued quite below under his Kingdom in the Lake as to be Eternally separated from him Now I Briefly Argue against any other Worlds Reason 1. Because the Scripture in All it says Stints our Thoughts and Imaginations in this variety of Worlds Rising and Repullulating as it were out of the First World that we Read of the Creation of Gen. 1. An Extent of Thought beyond this Brings us under a Vertigo a Giddiness of Apprehension that we know not where we are and Inclines to Scepticism a doubt of All Things and if we do not stop to Atheistick Suâ—pitions Running out of the Assurance of the Truth of All Religion and of Christianity Reas 2. Because Scripture Represents the Angels and Saints of both the Saved and of the Lost as so many and those in such a variety Angels never sinning but Elect and Confirm'd in Original Holiness Angels Falling and never Recover'd Mâ—n Created in Original Purity Falling and a number very vast in it self Recover'd some dying but vindicated from Death by the Resurrection Others in the Kingdom of Christ that though they might fall and die viz. the living remaining are yet secur'd by the Mediator and the Lost of Mankind Fallen from their First Estate and not Recover'd notwithstanding the Grace of the Mediator Scripture Every-where also Magnifies the Riches and Fullness the Variety of the Creation as declaring to the utmost the Glory of God that He thinks fit to Reveal in such away especially as it shall be in Christ's World to Come Now the Infinite Riches of the Divine Being shewing it self in so Great an Explication of its own so Variegated Wisdom Ephes 3. 9. c. to Principalities and Powers in Heavenly Places in and by the Church when it is carried through all Oeconomies especially that in the Fullness of Times wherein Angels Themselves shall be Recapitulated Ephes 1. 10. into the Eternal Kingdom is All Scripture Reveals and it carries our Thoughts not a Moment beyond but winds up all herein foâ— that Search beyond it looks like the vain Puff and Swolness of a fleshly Mind as not being wise to Sobriety but above what is written And yet I know the Infinite Being and Wisdom and Power of God before some Holy and Good and so Zealous of the Glory of God may cause them to say Who knows what God will do Reas 3. Because it is not only unconceivable but directly against the Analogy of Scripture and Faith That there should be any Glory of Creatures Intellectual or Animal or according to the Mechanism and Frame of Heaven and Earth but what is All in Jesus Christ the eternal Word in our Nature Now how is it Conceivable either in Scripture or Reason He should be Related to Another or any more Worlds as to this wherein he was made Man the Son of Abraham the Son of David Can there be any more Sons of Abraham or of David Can the Eternal Word Assume any more or other Created Nature into Himself He must then see a World or Worlds wherein He hath no Interest as in that Personality wherein we Believe Him according to Scripture This would be a Diminution to his Glory Therefore this is to me a most Conclusive Argument against any Worlds before or after this Reas 4. I add the Manifestations of the Grace of God in Christ even the Riches of Glory on the Vessels of Mercy prepared to Glory and Honour and of his Wrath and Power on the Vessels of Wrath and unto Dishonour are to the Heighth as the Apostle shews Rom. 9 22. Any more then would speak the Imperfection of what hath been is and is to be which no way agrees with Scripture manifesting all to the utmost From whence I conclude such a Supposal of more Worlds cannot Rationally Barr the Hipothesis of such a Kingdom as God All in All. And thus I have endeavoured so to state that Kingdom of the 1000 Y. wherein not only his Enemies are in Fieri or about as they speak to be subdued but it shall be brought to that Consummation and Perfection which the Apostle speaks of and
which is the very Character of the Kingdom of Christ Heb 2. 1. That all Things should be so put under Him there should be nothing left that is not put under Him But now we see not All Things so put under Him by which we know the Time of his Kingdom is not yet There may yet be remaining many Spinose and Snarl'd Questions the Answering of which would still beget more and make Controversies as endless as the Genealogies the Apostle speaks of I therefore designedly forbear Them I know the Like may be drawn over the most Fundamental Principles of Theology by a dispos'd Questionist as is very plain by the Parallel I have given betwixt that so Acknowledged One of the Day of Judgment and the Thousand Years Kingdom liable to the very same Captious Enquiries I will therefore wave any further Regard to those Perplexing Questions with Transcribing some few Observations out of that most Satisfying Discourse of the Vniversally Honourable Mr Boyl in his Appendix to the so Graceful Pourtracture of the Christian Vertuoso of which he is Himself the Life It is his Reflections upon the Distinction of Above and not against Reason viz. pag. 6. parag 7. There are divers Truths in Christian Religion that Reason left to it self would never have found out nor so much perhaps as Dream'd of and such undoubtedly is the Thousand Years Kingdom of Christ And p. 8. parag 10. There are Truths so Abstruse that when They are propos'd as clearly as proper unambiguous Terms can propose Them They do nevertheless surpass our Dim and Bounded Reason And such also are many Things concerning this Kingdome of Christ There are many Things in General and in determinate Conceptions as that Discourse most pressingly Instances Concerning Time Place Local Motion Quantity wherein though we understand One Another when we speak of Them yet if we throughly look into Them there are such Difficulties as oppress our Reason and wherein the Men who make such shrewd Objections against our Hipothesis will hardly be able to pitch on any that will not Allow us to Repay them in the same Coyn. So also are there in the Articles of Faith much more in these of the Kingdom of Christ and yet none are therefore to be Rejected That also is Greatly Considerable to the Present Purpose pa. 6. parag 8. There are many Truths and more then we are wont to Imagine that we want Mediums or Instruments to Discover that if They were clearly propos'd would be Intelligible to us even as Celestial Lights in those Inestimably Remote Regions for want of more Reaching Telescopes These and many more most excellent Observations in that short but Massie Treatise if well Consider'd would Reconcile our Thoughts to the Glorious Kingdom of Christ however hitherto Dark in the Main and many Things relating to the Modus or Circumstance more Dark But I make no doubt those Reaching Commanding Telescopes will be brought forth fo◠Use ere-long by the Everlasting Gospel preach'd when what was Mystery before will be no longer so Even as what was so in the Old Testament became no longer so by the New Revealing it as the same Honourable Writer Remarks In the mean time how Noble would it be in a Royal Society of Christian Vertuoso's to call for Encourage and Receive all Proposes concerning Prophecy its Line of Time and the Fulfilling of it That would bring so Adorable a part of Theology into Experimentality to the Great Honour of the Age. But if neither Divines nor Vertuoso's will do it God will suddenly Grant a New Charter for a Royal Society of Vertuoso's for his Kingdom I willingly also forbear the saying any more concerning the Calling of the Jews the very Occasion given to deny it being in the Sense of most Christians a kind of Invidious Thing I only say the Jews according to all Prophecy being kept in publick View as a Desolated and Obstinate Unbelieving People make it very Believable They are pteserved to such a Gracious purpose Wherein it is most True Insinite Power and Wisdome hath Engag'd it Self in Answer to the hardest Objections according to Ezekiel's Resolve of that Question Can these Dead Bones live O Lord God thou knowest Ezek. 37. 3. And the Apostle's Theorem concerning the Case God is able to graft Them in Rom. 11. 23. I am also willing to Accept that Reserve for taking in Papal Rome within the Apocalyptick Prophecy That as Pagan Rome was most certainly in its Time so Papal Rome may be Babylon also Only I cannot but Observe that the Cassandrianism and Grotianism of Suppositing Pagan Rome to all the Prophecy of the Revelation wherein the Learned and according to his own Sentiments most Pious Dr. Hammond Joyn'd through the Antiperistatick Paroxism He carried to the Times He Lived in and against which Mr. Baxter hath Written in General This sure is much more Obnoxious then the Agreeing with Conformists concerning any Apocalyptick Notions For it Argues much more a Divine Impression when Any are carried against then down a Stream especially in Favour of a Prophecy that will as certainly Take down the Grandieur and Antiquate the Antiquity of most of the Constitution They Favour within a short time as even the Papal it self Let it be spoken without the Disfavour of many Honourable and Vndefiled Names of Sardis The most Sagacious of the Jesuits so much understood an Antichristian Rome Revel 17. That to avoid the Blow They as Balam and Chaiaphas have Prophesied of an Anti-Christ that shall yet come to Destroy Rome and its Pseudo-Catholick State And they are thus far in the Right of it That as the Papal State is the Antichrist to the True Christ So the True Christ's Coming will be Antichrist indeed to that Antichrist an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Christ directly opposite to Him and that will come into his Room and so even perfectly bring Him to nothing with the Brightness of his own Appearance Passing then from all these Things I come to what Remains of Greater Moment and that is Concerning the Churches in General more Particular of Philadelphia and Laodicea and most especially of Laodicea upon which I must acknowledge the most Difficult and Hardliest to be Reconcil'd Hinge of my Hipothesis Turns 1. I first therefore consider what concerns the Seven Churches in General and that is with Relation to the Angels of the Churches Concerning which Mr. Baxter in his Reply thus Writes p. 14. For my part saith he If I Believed that by God's Institution the Church Catholick must have One Universal Humane Angel or Government Monarchical or Aristocratical or mixt I would presently be a Papist But he had said before What is the Essence of Papacy but the Claim of an Vniversal Power over the Church in the Pope or his Council He being the Head Now in this I would earnestly Beg the same Candor of Interpretation in all I have Written that in this matter I would Use
such a Collection of Nations Slain with the Sword of Christ's Mouth Chap. 19. For v. 18. Their Flesh is Expos'd as a Feast to the Fowls in such a Collection of Kings Captains Small and Great And v 19. They are said to be the Kings of the Earth and their Armies Gathered together under the Beast as their Chief And when the Beast and false Prophet were Taken and thrown into the Lake verse 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rest even the whole Rest besides the Beast and false Prophet are v. 21. expresly said to be Slain with the Sword of Christ's Mouth And so They became the Dead therefore Chap. 20. They are call'd very properly in so Neighbour a Context 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rest of the Dead by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Chap. 19. v. 21. and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put together The Remnant slain Chap. 19. 21. The Remnant of the Dead c. 20. 5. Slain and Dead being most Conjoyn'd in Signification They appear to be the same And these Rest slain and so Dead are in their whole Number and â—ollection the Gog and Magog so gathered together as to the First Battel at Armageddon So to the Last Battel of the Thousand Years or of the Day of Judgment ending There is beyond this Induâ—ement strong Argument For who-ever Live in the State of the Thousand Years must be Partakers of the First Resurrection Because They are the Nations of the Saved saved from the Sword of Him that Sate on the Horse As they are call'd The Land brought back or Rescued from the Sword Ezek. 38. 8. All Those are Healed with the Leaves of the Tree of Life They must be therefore the Living for All that are Living are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very Left as under a peculiar Guard and Care of Life So They are call'd the People left and Escaped and the Living Esay 4. 2 3. and by Ezekiel compar'd to Fishes in the Living and Healing Waters wherein whatever doth Live shall Live and the Dead viz. the Raised-condemn'd to Marishes or Miry places not Healed but Given to Salt Ezek. 47. 9 11. even the Salt of that Fire never Quench'd March 9. 47. From whence it Follows whoever Escape in that Great Tribulation the Fire the Sword the Hail of the Day of Judgment and Perdition of Vngodly Men at that Battle of Armageddon are the Living Remaining Written in the Book of Life and shall Live And All other are to be Accounted the Dead First Slain with the Sword of Christ's Mouth punnish'd with Everlasting Destruction and then cast into the Lake at last For so it is Everlasting Destruction to be Slain with the Sword of Christ's Mouth Because All the so Slain are the Dead not Partakers of the First Resurection So the Second Death gets the Power over Them certainly and infallibly They are cast into the Lake that Burns with Fire and Brimstone which is the Second Death Having thus far Pre-caution'd concerning all Things relating to the State of the 1000 Years and the Little Space of Sathan's Loosing after the 1000 Years I will now in very Brief Lay down some very short Positions Clearing the Doubts Arising from the State of the Living Remaining Saints as It is Symboliz d and Figur'd by the Church of Laodicea Posit 1. The Great Reason perswading The Church of Laodicea is the Representation of the Saints after the 1000 Years is that There are Great Reasons to be Given eâ—sewhere declar'd That the Seven Churches are as a Prophetic Seheme prepar d by Christ to Run the whole Line of Time Allotted to the Apocalypâ—ic Prophecy as it is first Given by those Churches with Relation to the Church of Christ to the very end of All at the Kingdom deliver'd up and as more Generally It is the Second Time Fully Given in the Prophecy of the Book sealed with Seven Seals and Gradually Open'd to the Kingdom by Christ Posit 2 If it be so Then the Philadelphian Church being the Church on which the Thousand-Years-New-Jerusalem comes down and Rests The Laodicean Church that comes after it must needs be the State of the Church upon the Glories of the New Jerusalem above being withdrawn Sathan Loosed and the Assault by Gog and Magog deceiv'd by Him preparing For All These Immediately succeed the 1000 Years if then the Church of Philadelphia Agrees in Time with the 1000 Y. and describes the State of the Church during those 1000 Years the Church that Follows that must describe the State of the Church after the 1000 Years Posit 3. There is a wonderful Agreement hereunto of the Titles of Christ in writing to this Church viz. the Amen and Faithful Witness to the Last End about to Close the whole Created State by delivering up the Kingdom as well as the Beginning of the Creation of God the Name of the Church Laodicea as in a Judiciary Power over the Nations of the Raised Condemn'd Wicked Lying Captive at Christ's Feet and so at his Saints Feet as the Dead The Promise of Sitting down with Christ on his Throne They being Caught up to it and that as Christ Sat down on his Father's Throne till the Time of his own Kingdom So these Saints sit while the Last Act of Judgment on Sathan Gog and Magog on Death and Hell is in Sentence and Execution and so until the Kingdom deliver'd up All these I say Admirably Agree to the Last End of Things Posit 4. The several Branches of the Epistle must not be Rigorously Applied to the Saints Living Remaining in the New Jerusalem State but carried only to the Principal Scope and what-ever Exceeds that must be understood as in all Parables of Scripture to Flourish and Embellish the Figures that They may most to the Life Express that Principal Scope and the Rest must vale off and be Applied only to the Ground-work it self of the Figure as here It must to the Church of Laodicea that was in Being when the Epistle was written and so These Following Particulars are of Chief Remark in which let us then Hear what the Spirit thus speaks to the Church of Laodicea 1. The Lukewarmness of the Church of Laodicea Applied to the Living Remaining Saints cannot be understood but of the abatement of the fervors for the Glory of the Jerusalem above to which hitherto these Kings of the Earth the Saints below had Brought their Glory But now those Glories from Above being withdrawn and the so Free and Illustrious Communications ceasing These Saints below whereas They rather Acquiesce in their State below at least as very well should have Burnt in an Immediate Zeal to be Caught up as Elijah in Charriots of Fire to Christ above and to be ever with Him 2. The Spewing out of Christ's Mouth can by no means indeed be understood of a disgraceful dishonourable End put by Christ to his own Kingdom below or on his the Living Remaining Saints but only that seeing a Church State on Earth Born up
THE UNIVERSAL Christian Doctrine OF THE Day of Iudgment Applied to the Doctrine of the Thousand Years Kingdom of Christ Herein Guided by Mr. BAXTER's Reply To Vindicate It from all Objections Shewing as is the One so is the Other VIZ. His Judging the Quick and the Dead and His Appearing and His Kingdom Which seeing it must have some Duration the Scripture 1000 Years is on Great Proof Preferr'd By THOMAS BEVERLEY An humble Minister of that Kingdom II. PET. III. 7 8. The Day of Judgment and of the Perdition of ungodly men But Beloved be not ignorant of this One Thing That one Day is with the Lord as a Tbousand Years c. LONDON Printed in the Year 1691. The Preface TO THE READER BEcause Many will Deign to Read a Preface that will not a Book I shall take Freedom to give a Prospect of the Whole in a Preface And first I am very Sensible my Lot of Discourse is fallen on such Ground that each Point must be Disputed for not Adorn'd nor Simply Taught but Argued and Won as it were by Inches And which much Increases the Difficulty The Land of Promise as the Map of it lies in Scripture is not in any Entire Table but in several smaller Lines variously Planted which must be Transplanted and laid Together And Who is Sufficient for such a Thing as a Teacher And as for Hearers They are not only Vnteachable or Dull of Hearing but are Prejudic'd and Cry out against this Heritage of the Lord as a Speckled Bird Some call such a Discourse Whimsie Vnintelligible Non-sense Foolishness To other Graver Christians and even Teachers It is a Scandal an Offence full of Causes of Objection And even to many more Favourable unintelligible Mystery Plain Things say they are more Profitable But none of these Things move Me that I should not Take heed to Fulfil this Ministery I have Received of the Lord. I intend this Small Tract not so much as a Rejoynder to Mr. Baxter's Reply upon my Answer For who am I that I should maintain a Controversie with so Honoured Able and Faithful a Minister of Jesus Christ I only with Thankfulness take Advice from Him what Points to Clear what to Guard what Advantage to take for Defence And had I not found some Arugments which I have not propos'd or not fully urg'd before and so fit a Medium or Instrument of Conveyance of this Doctrine as the Parallel between it and the Vniversally receiv'd Article of Faith Christ's coming to Judge the Quick and the Dead at his Kingdom which must needs be a middle Kingdom I had been silent Nor shall I think of opening my Mouth any further in this Point till I find something Objected which what I have now said if Duly Consider'd will not Answer which I am much in hope cannot be For to be Conscious to have said what can be spoken by One even as an Oath ought to conclude One and on Ones own part to be an End of All Strife Of small Questions and Exceptions I know there is no End And I must confess with Thanksgiving to God and with Subordinate Thankfulness to Mr. Baxter On His so often Naming a Middle Kingdom by way of Objection it was as it were by a Divine Prompting said to me This Notion of a Middle Kingdom which the Day of Judgment must needs be and which I have long since understood the same with the Kingdom is the Key of this Great Mystery and so I have Found it and am so Fully satisfied in it Even above all I have written before that I am at perfect Peace and will Contend no more I can look on any further Objection but as the Talk of Loosers For I am sure such an Appearance of the Kingdom of Christ as the Day of Judgment is or such a Return with the Kingdom Receiv'd as Luke 19. 15. or a Coming not into as is to Loss Translated Chap. 23. 43. but according to all Scripture Language in his Kingdom must needs be in the Middle between the Kingdom of Christ hitherto and to Eternity And it must have a Space of duration defined for It is not Eternal All Acknowledge I therefore preferr only the Scriptures naming a 1000 Years with such Apparences of that Time and according to the so Known Axiom of the Jews the People of God before the New Testament The Day of Judgment shall be a 1000 Years It is evident also from the Article Founded on 2 Tim. 4 1. Christ Judges the Quick or Living even as the Dead at his Appearing and Kingdom There must be Saints Rais'd and Saints The Living The Remaining of which I Treat according to Scripture Guidance as by 1 Thess 4. 17. The New Heaven and the New Earth must needs be at the same Time New by such a Lustre of Christ's Appearance the Sun of Rigâ—teousness Even as the Heavens and Earth are as it were New to us every Summer by the Suns Return And it is no more then Goâ— intended in his First Creation such a Glory of it And I cannot but Give Esay 45. 18. in somewhat a differing Translation but such as I suppose the Original will well Bear to this purpose upon naming the Salvation of Israel as an Everlasting Salvation World without end It follows Thus saith the Lord that Created the Heavens that Formed the Earth He hath Established it He Created it not saith the Translation in vain say I out of the Hebrew for a Tohu such an Inanity of Glory as It is now He Formed it to be Inhabited saith the Translation say I according to the Hebrew for the Sabbath even this Great Sabbatism wherein Jehovah shall be one his Name one none else no Idols Name any more for ever And then shall He Appear that Infinite Foreknower declaring the End from the Beginning that He may be known to be God And by All These Things I hope Mr. Baxter will be satisfied concerning the Specificness of this Kingdom Beginning with a Judgment and ending with a Judgment and its entire middle Space an Appearance according to that Judgment viz. of the Saints in the Glory of the Restitution of All Things by the Second Adam the Redeemer the Restorer of all the Ruins of the First Adam and an Appearance of the Wicked in Shame and Contempt and both these for the 1000 Y. Receiving what they have done in Body before the Tribunal of Christ Now All will Acknowledge as this Kingdom hath not been yet So it shall not be for ever but be deliver'd up Here therefore is a perfect Specification except Specification be an unknown School-Term I Know in some Things I differ from that Sweet as well as most Judicious and Pious Writer Mr. Increase Mather as Appears by his Accurate discourse De Signo Filii Hominis or of the Sign of the Son of Man I should be most Glad by Friendliest Conference or entercourse of Letters to conciliate as concerning a scripture-Scripture-Line of Time to this State
concerning Christ having his Palace of Glory not on this New Earth but in the New Heaven concerning the Wicked Dead Rais'd In which Points I perceive my Self to differ from Him but as I Hope on Great Scripture Grounds Now to Conclude All This Kingdom is the Great Practical Doctrine which when It shall be Vniversally Preach'd by the Everlasting Gospel shall Bring in all the World Jews and Gentiles to Christ And besides the Blessed Effusions of the Spirit that shall go along with it How must it needs in Reason prevail For what would the Great Value and purchase of but a 100 Years in the Vigors and All Affluences of Life be and in such a Heaven and Earth as are now and if Men were so enclin d in all wise and vertuous Converses Of what Inestimable Value then to every serious Considerer even now the offer of so much a Higher and Longer 1000 Y. of Life as is propos'd on so Great Scripture Grounds How may it satisfie that Appetite Implanted by Creation into our Natures which is that very Olam or World set by God in the Heart of Man Ecclâ—s 3 11. the Desire to see the Glory of God in his Visibly Glorious Creation for a perfect Duration of Time But how much stronger will the Impression be upon an Enlightned Convinced Awaken'd World under that Everlasting Gospel Preach'd when that shall be Fully declar'd and â—â—liev'd that Few will now Believe though it be never so plainly Told Them In the mean Time seeing we All profess to Believe Fully the Apostle Peter s Doctrine of Looking for New Heavens and a New Earth according to his Promise wherein Righteousness shall dwell Let us Resolve what Manner of Persons we ought to be in all that Holiness and Godliness of Conversation and let us Grow in Grace and the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ beyond the Beginnings of his Doctrine Going on to Perfection and so unravel the Apostasie where it Began in not so doing and above all Let us Give All Dilligence that we may be Found of him in Peace without Sâ—ot and Blameless and by Him be so Presented before the Presence of his Glory And let us consider the Day is near Approaching Concerning the Truth of which I make Appeal to Him to show by his Arm made bare in unquestionable Evidence of Fact and Event every Thing in its proper Time And I am now waiting at this Time when the Kings are preparing to Go out to War for a Dawn of thâ— Morning Star on the Suffering Witnesses of the yet Afflicted Thyatyra the French and Vaudois and that the Rod of Iron should begin to Break tâ—at Potters Vessel whom patience hath yet spar d from being a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for what ends will be seen who with a more then Herodian Insolence and Cruelty hath nâ—â— only let Rest on Him as Herod but even Hunted for such Attributions as to a God and not to a Man and so Inhumanely Vex'd so many of the Church of Christ to please a Sacrilegiously Flattering Jesuitic Order Now to the only wise God be Glory for ever Amen A REPRESENTATION OF THE Thousand Years Kingdom OF CHRIST Endeavouring to Reconcile it to the General Confessions of the Faith of Christians and particularly to the Judgment of the Eminent Servants and Ministers of Jesus Christ with a Vindication from Further Objections I Can Sincerely Appeal to the Searcher of Hearts I am in all the Substantial and Essential Points of Christianity of the Judgment of all the Wisest Soundest and most Universally Approved Ministers of the Gospel and Christians in the Faith at once Deliver'd to the Saints and have no By nor Secret Opinions in Reserve either concerning the Person of the Great Media or God and Man or concerning his Kinâ—dom as if it had not been from the Beginning or were not to be for ever in such Explications of it as the Churches of Christ most Agree in according to Scripture I make the same Appeal concâ—rning my Belief of the Eternal Happiness of the â—aints with and by Christ in the Distinctness of Humane nature Spirits in Bodies of Glory united by Him to the Father and yet each one in his own proper Personality and so made Truly Equalâ— to the Holy and Elect Angels and of the punishment of the wicked in their Spirits and Bodies together with the Devil and his Angels even throughout a Strict and proper Eternity a Parte Post as They speak or for ever Except therefore my Doctrine and Affirmation of the Kingdom of the Thousand Years can be shown in a perfect Amity and Conciliation with this Gospel and Form of Sound Words I Acknowledge It ought to be Rejected I therefore Attempt in very Brief to shew it to be in such a State of Agreement and to vindicate it from Exceptions to it I observe therefore one Great Complex of Articles of Faith wherein All Christians are as much as in any Point of Christianity at One and They may be thus Given 1. That there shall be a Day or Time before the State and Kingdom of Eternity wherein Jesus Christ shall Come from the Right Hand of the Father to Judge the World and this as Man Acts 17. 31. 2. That Jesus Christ shall Come in the Glory and Power of the Father to this Judgment and that It shall be a most Illustrious Appearance of his Kingdom that was not before nor shall be after For He comes in his Kingdom and the King shall say c. Matth. 25. and He Sits on the Throne of his Glory v. 3â— v. 34. 3. That at the same Time There shall be a Glorious Resurrection and Appearance of his Saints with Him as Sharers in the Glories and Triumphs of that Day 4. That the Saints that shall at that Time be living and Remâ—ining upon Earth shall not Dye but at the very same Time be Chang'd so as that They also may have their part in the same Glory and Resurrection 5. That there shall be a Resurrection of the Vnjust and of Those that have done Evil to the Condemnation to the Dishonour and Contempt and to the Punishment that shall at that Day be Executed upon Them 6. That the Heavens and Earth that now are are Reserv'd for Fire at that Day and that Christ as the Apostle Paul speaks 2 Thess 1. 7 8. shall be Reveal d in Flames of Fire taking Vengeance and that as the Apostle Peter says The Day of the Lord Cometh as a Theif in the Night in which the Heavens shall pass away with a Great Noise and the Elements melt with Fervent Heat and the Earth and the Works that are therein shall be Burnt up 2 Pet. 3. 10. and again v. 12. Looking for and Hasting unto the Day of God wherein the Heavens being on Fire shall be dissolv'd and the Elements shall melt with Fervent Heat Now seeing the very Revelation of Christ is in Flames of Fire as Lightning and that our Lord compares his Coming