these promises upon earth till their Ierusalem were againe builded and they put in possession of the holy land to build their houses and plant their Uineyeards therein till they saw themselves put in possession of their present carnall legall hopes Yea T. G. his literall exposition of this and the like places goes beyond the most of the Iewish apprehensions For that any of the Talmudists do dreame that at the comming of the Messias the Lyon shall eate straw that the Leoparde and the Lambe the Serpent and the sucking childe shall be brought to such a sympathy of natures as not to have the least disposition to doe harme the one to the other That the life of men shall be so much at that time prolonged as one of an hundred yeares must be taken but for an Infant and a childe that the most fabulous of the Rabbins have gone thus farre in a litterall beleefe I doe not know His eight place is Heb. 2.5 8. For unto the Angells he hath not put in subjection the world to come but now we see not yet all things put under him whence he inferres that Christ in the world to come is to reigne and to have all things put under his feet which is not now performed the Apostle saying expressely that now all things are not put under him neither is this true in the life to come for then the Kingdome of Christ is rendred up to the Father Ans The world to come is not that imaginary world of the 1000 yeares whereof the Scripture speaks no thing but the dayes of the Gospell of which the Apostle is there speaking and shewing that the Gospell was administred not by Angells as the Law had beene upon Mount Sinai but by the Sonne of God himselfe This new world under the Gospell did differ more from the old world under the Law then the earth in the dayes of Noah and the Patriarchs after the floud from the earth in the dayes of Noah before the floud This new world of the Gospell began with Christs first comming in the flesh it was demonstrated in his Resurrection When all power in heaven and in earth was given to him Math. 28.18 When all the Angells of God did worshippe him Heb. 1 6. When he was set farre above all Principalities and Powers Ephes 1.21 The accomplishment of this world is not till the Last day when Death Hell and Satan which yet are not made Christs footstoole shall fully be conquered These things cannot be verified of the thousand yeares For according to Mr. Burrowes grounds before they begin many things are annihilated and so not made subject The heavens and elements are melted with fervent heate The earth and the workes thereof are burnt up with fire Also during these thousand yeares Christs chiefe enemies are not fully subdued death still hath dominion over men the devill is onely bound but yet alive and not cast into the lake His ninth place is Ier. 3.16.17 They shall say no more the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord neither shall it come to minde neither shall they remember it at that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord and all the Nations shall be gathered unto it neither shall they walke any more after the imagination of their evill heart Hence he inferres A state of the Church in the Last dayes so glorious that all things by-past shall be forgot That Judah and Israel shall returne from their captivity to Jerusalem That all Nations shall joyne with them That they shall no more walke after their old sinnes That Jerusalem which before times was at best but the footstoole of God shall then become a throne of glory Answer There is no word here of Christs abode upon earth for a thousand yeares Secondly the old things that are to be forgotten are expressed to be the Ceremonies of the Law but no Ordinance of the Gospell The Prophet names the Arke and the Temple which by Christs first comming were removed Thirdly The walking of Iudah and Israel together and the Nations joyning with them Imports no more but the calling of Iewes and Gentiles by the Gospell to the Christian Church the heavenly Ierusalem The same which the Prophet Esay hath in his second Chap. vers 5. The establishing in the Last dayes of the House of God on the top of the mountaines the flowing of all Nations thereto for out of Sion shall goe forth a Law and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem These Last dayes were the dayes of the Apostles when they from Sion and Ierusalem did blow the Trumpet of the Gospell to all the Nations These were the times whereof Ieremy in the 15 verse of the Chapter in hand doth speake I will give you Pastors according to my heart which shall feede you with knowledge and understanding The Pastors there promised were Christ and his Apostles better Pastors then these God never sent neither ever shall send to his Church Fourthly Walking after Gods owne heart doth not import a freedome from all sinne but onely a state of grace wherein according to the new Covenant God gives his people a newheart and writes his Lawes upon the same Fifthly That whereupon the greatest weight of the argument is laid seemes to be a very groundlesse conceit That Ierusalem when it is a throne of glory must be the old Ierusalem builded againe as if Ierusalem under the Law and Ierusalem in the dayes of the Gospell the Church in the new Testament the mother of us all were but the footestoole of God This is a doctrine expresly against Scripture for in divers places Ierusalem Sion and the Arke even in the old Testament are called not onely the footstoole but the throne of God Ier. 14.21 Doe not abhorre us for thy names sake doe not disgrace the throne of thy glory Also Chap. 17.12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary The Lord did as it were sit upon the Mercy Seate as upon a chaire of State under the Canopy of the wings of the Cherubins within the Sanctuary the chamber of his most Majestuous presence Ierusalem under the new Testament is called not onely the throne of God but his footstoole Esay 40.13 To beautifie the place of my Sanctuary and I will make the place of my feete glorious This place our Brethren expound of the Sanctuary during the time of the thousand yeares However it is cleare it must be expounded of the Church in the same times whereof Ieremiah speakes in his third Chapter whence the Argument in hand is brought The tenth place is Dan. 2 44. And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroyed and it shall stand for ever Whence is inferred an everlasting Kingdome of Christ a joy of Ierusalem unchangeable to any sorrow Answer Christs Everlasting Kingdome is meerely spirituall and heavenly That dominion which
whole preceding Prophecie especially of the peoples deliverance by Michael the Prince from the oppression of Antiochus which was not much to be understood till it came to passe Fourthly They reason from the last verse Life eternall is common to all the Saints and no singular priviledge of Daniels But the resurrection here spoken of is promised to Daniel as a singular favour Answer Mr. Archer who is deepest learned in these Mysteries affirmes That all the goldly as well as Daniel had their part in the first resurrection and indeede if once you begin to distinguish it will be hard to finde satisfactory grounds to give this glory to Daniel and to deny it to David to Moses to Abraham and many others Secondly We may well say that life eternall albeit common to all the Saints yet is so divine so rare and singular a mercy to every one that gets it that it may be propounded to Daniel and every Saint as a soveraigne comfort against the bitternesse of all their troubles Thirdly The place according to the best Interpreters speakes nothing at all of any resurrection onely it imports a promise to Daniel to live in peace all his dayes that notwithstanding all the troubles of the Church which he saw in these visions as Diodate Translates it yet so farre as concerned himself he should goe on to his end and rest stand or continue in his present honours and prosperous condition to his death and 〈…〉 of his dayes Fifthly from the 11. and 12. verse they conclude peremptorily the beginning of these thousand yeares to be in the yeare 1650 or at furthest 1695 for they make the 1290 dayes to be so many yeares and the 1335 dayes to be 45 yeares more these they make to beginne in the raigne of Julian the Apostate who after Constantine's death did re-establish Paganisme in the Empire and encouraged the Jewes to build the Temple of Jerusalem till God hindred them by an Earthquake which did cast up the foundation-stones of the old Temple Beginning their account at this time the end of their first number falls on the yeere 1650 and of the second on the yeare 1695. This is Archers calculation which T. G. and others follow precisely Answer We marvell at the rashnesse of men who by the example of many before them will not learne greater wisedome if they needes must determine peremptorily of times and seasons That they doe not extend their period beyond their owne dayes That they be not as some before them laughed at before their owne Eyes when they have lived to set the vanity of their too confident Predictions however in this calculation there seemes nothing to be sound neither the beginning nor the middle nor the later end If the thousand yeares begin in the 1650 yeare if Christ then come in person to the earth what will keepe him from perfecting his Kingdome to the 1695 yeare thereafter will he spend whole 45 yeares in warres against the Nations before they be subdued to his Scepter Secondly What warrant have they to begin their account with the Empire of Julian Did he set up any abomination at all in the Church of God He opened againe in the Territories of his Empire the Pagan Temples which by Constantine had been closed by counsell and example he allured men to idolatry but he troubled not any Christians in the liberty of their profession he did not set up idolatry in any Christian Congregation The Lord did quickly kill him and so prevented his intended persecution of Christians But although it could be verified of him that he did set up the abomination of desolation in the Temple yet how made he the daily Sacrifice to cease he was so far from this that to t◠uttermost of his power he laboured to set up againe the daily Sacrifice which some hundred yeares ceased Scripture speakes onely of two times wherein the solemne sacrifice was made to cease and the abomination of desolation was set up First by Antiochus Epiphanes and then by Titus Vespasian but of Julian his making the sacrifice to cease Scripture speakes nothing That Story of the Earthquake whereupon Mr Archer builds albeit reported by some of the Ancients seemes to be a great fable Certainely the application of it to Christs Prophesie of the Gospel A stone shall not be left upon a stone as if this had not been fulfilled till that Earthquake had cast up all the foundation-stones of the ancient Temple is very temerarious As The beginning and end of their calculation is groundlesse so also the midst and the whole body of it is frivolous What necessity is there to expound dayes by yeares especially in that place where yeares are divided into dayes In the very preceding words vers 7. the dayes here mentioned are expressed by a time times and halfe a time can they shew in any place of Scripture that ever a day is put for a yeare where yeares and dayes are conjoyned and a few yeares are extended in the enumeration of all the dayes that are in these yeares The words of the Prophet Daniel are cleare if they be taken as they lie but if they be strained to a Mysticall sense they become inexplicable The Lord is comforting the Prophet and the whole Church by the short indurance of the desolations which Antiochus was to bring upon them for from the time of his scattering of the Jewes and discharging of the solemne sacrifice unto the breaking of the yoake of his Tyranny it should be but three yeares and a halfe with a few more dayes yea unto that happy time when the plague of God should fall on his person it should be but 45 dayes more The History of Josephus and the Maccabees makes the event accord with this prediction Why then should we straine the Text any further to a new sence which neither agrees with the event nor with the words Another place alleadged by Mr. Burrowes is Psalme 102.16 When the Lord shall build up Sion he shall appeare in his glory As if this did import both the building againe of Sion and also Christs glorious appearance upon the earth Answer This place speaks of no such things the ordinary Exposition of late and old Interpreters agrees so well with the contexture of the whole Psalme that to drive it farther were needlesse the place speakes of the Babylonish Captivity and of the earnest desire of the godly at that time to have Jerusalem and Sion then in the dust againe restored This desire of the Saints is granted and a promise is made to them that Sion should be againe builded and that the Lord by this act of mercy should get great glory But for any third building of Sion after the dayes of the Messias or for any personall raigne of Christ upon earth no syllable in this place doth appeare His next place is Rom. 11.12 If the fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them be the riches
God even as a dead dog Truely I am ashamed to write of so grosse and filthy abominations so generally received even of all States of these parts of the world who of a Popish Custom and Tradition have received it one of another without any warrant from the Word Ibid. p. 75. Other more smoothe hypocrites yet as grosse idolaters use the Lords Prayer as a close of their own M Canns Necessity of Separation p. 66. It is all one whether turning on the left hand we embrace the Idolatry of Bishops or turning on the other hand we follow the new devices of mens foolish brains for utter destruction certainly follows both N Robinsons Apologie p. 89. Quae nos ad Separationem solicitant ipsam Ecclesiae materialem formalem constitutionem ejusdemque politeiae administrationem essentialem spectant O Johns Enquiry p. 25. Seeing by the mercy of God we have seen and forsaken the corruptions which remain in the French and Dutch Churches we cannot partake with them in such case without apostacie from the Truth P Johns Plea p. 231. Every particular Church with their Pastors stand immediately under Christ the Arch-Pastor without any other strange Ecclesiastical power intervening whether it be of Prelates or other unlawful usurping Synods or of any such like invented by man and brought into the Church Barrows Dis p. 261. If we would but lightly examine these secret Classes these ordinary set Synods which the Reformists would openly set up they shall no doubt be found as new strange Antichristian and prejudicial to the Rights of the Church as contrary to the Gospel of Christ as the other what shew soever of former antiquity or present necessity they can pretend Idem Refut of Giffâ—rd p. 137. These are the antient Sects of the Pharisees and Sadduces the one in precisenesse outward shew of holinesse hypocrisie vain-glory and covetousnesse resembling or rather exceeding the Pharisees the other in their whole Religion and dissolute conversation like to the Sadduces looking for no Resurrection Judgement or life to come the one removing from place to place for their advantage and best entertainment in the errour of Ba'aam for wages seduce and distract the people of the Lord from their own Churches and Pastors Sions Royal Prerogative in the Preface Whereas the Papists place the power of Christ given to the Church in the Pope the Protestants in the Bishops the Reformed Churches as they are called in the Presbytery Neither of them hath right in this thing but contrarywise Christ hath given the said power of his to all his Saints and placed it in the Body of every particular Congregation Q 1. Robinsons Apol. p 83. Personas Episcoporum vel autoritatem qua potiuntur civilem in rebus vel civilibus vel etiam Ecclesiasticis non aversamur Q 2. Vide supra F. R 1. Bar. Dis p. 33. Such like detestable stuff hath Master Calvin in his ignorance brought to defend his own rash and disorderly proceedings at Geneva whiles he at the first dash made no scruple to receive the whole State into the bosome of the Church yea that which is worse and more to be lamented it became a miserable precedent and pernicious example to all Europe to fall in the like transgression as in the confused estate of all those Regions where the Gospel is thus orderly taught is more then plain R 2. Robins Apol. p. 7. Profitemur coram Deo hominibus adeo nobis convenire cum Ecclesus reformatis Belgicis in re Religionis ut omnibus singulis earundem Ecclesiarum fidei Articulis prout habentur in harmonia Confessionum fidei paratisimus subscribere Ibid. p. 11. Ecclesias reformatas pro veris genuinis habemus cum iisdem in sacris Dei Communionem profitemur quantum in nobis est colimus conciones publicas ab illarum pastoribus habitas ex nostris qui norunt Linguam Belgicam frequentant Sacram coenam earum membris si qua forte nostris coetibus intersint nobis cognita participamus Malis illarum serio ingemiscimus Apol. for the Brownists pag. 35. We are willing and ready to subscribe those Grounds of Religion published in the Confession of Faith made by the Church of Scotland hoping in the unity of the same Faith to be saved by Jesus Christ being also like minded in points of greatest moment with all other Reformed Churches and on the contrary for Anabaptists Familists and all other Heretikes new and old we utterly reject them and all their Errours and Heresies Johns plea. p. 245. I acknowledge the Reformed Churches to be the true Churches of Christ with whom I agree both in the Faith of Christ and in many things concerning the Order and Government of the Church R 3. Johns Inquiry p. 57. Having declined to divers Errors of the Dutch the Church did excommunicate him and so still he remains Ibid. p. 59. Yet it is false that we have excommunicate any for the hearing onely the Word preached among the Dutch or French for these that yet we have cast out here it hath been partly for revolting from the truth which they professed with us to the corruptions of those Churches and partly for other sins S The Confession p. 26. The state of the Dutch Church at Amsterdam is so confused that the whole Church can never come together in one they read out of a Book certain Prayers invented and imposed by man the command of Christ Matth. 18. they neither observe nor suffer to be observed rightly they worship God in the Idoll-Temples of Antichrist their Ministers have their set maintenance their Elders change yeerly they celebrate marriage in the Church they use a new censure of Suspension T Robins apol p. 81. Ecclesiae Anglicanae constitutio materialis est ex hominum flagitiosorum colluvie paucis si cum reliquis piis admistis conferantur V Canns necessity p. 167. He is to come himself into the publike Assembly all looking on him with love and joy as one that comes to be married and there he is to make publike Confession of his Faith to answer divers questions being found worthy by the consent of the whole he is to be taken into the Communion X Bar. dis p. 34. I have shewed that the known and suffered sin of any Member is contagious to all that communicate with them in that estate and maketh them which communicate in Prayers or Sacraments with such an obstinate offender as guilty in Gods sight as he himself is Y Bar. dis p. 34. I have shewed that the whole Church hath no power to dispence with the breach of the least Commandment and that such obstinate sin in the whole Church breaketh the Covenant with God and maketh it cease to be a Church or in Gods favour till it repent Z Vide supra X Y. AA Bar. dis p. 157. They make this part of Gods Word substantial that of Form this Fundamental that Accidental this necessary to Salvation that needlesse
rhyming and paraphrasing the Psalms as in your Church and against Apocrypha and Erroneous Ballads in rythme sung commonly in your Church instead of the Psalms and other Songs of holy Scripture LLLL Rob. Apoâ— p. 20. Nego eandem esse rationem precationis cantionis ipsi Psalmi quorum materia precatione aut gratulatione constat in hunc finem proprie primo formantur a prophetis in cantiones Psalmos spirituales ut nos edoceant quae vota illi in angustiis constituti ad Deum fuderint quasque liberati eidem Deo gratias retulerint ut nos eosdem Psalmos sive psallentes sive legentes institueremus nos ipsos sive publice sive privatim sive docendo sive commone faciendo sive consolando ad Dei gloriam in cordibus nostris promovendam MMMM Smiths Diff. p. 4. That the reading out of a Book is no part of spiritual worship but the invention of the man of sin that Books and writings are in the nature of Pictures and Images that it is unlawful to have the Book before the eyes in singing of a Psalm NNNN Smiths differences Vide supra cap. 1. E. OOOO Confess p. 34. Such to whom God hath given gifts to interpret the Scriptures ought by the appointment of the Congregation to prophecy and so to teach publikely the Word of God until such time as God manifests men with able gifts to such Offices as Christ hath appointed to the publike Ministry PPPP Bar. Disc p. 116. Shall I speak according to the times and say Be no true Sacrament or rather leave that traditional word which ingendreth strife rather then godly edifying and say Be no true Seal of the Covenant QQQQ Vide supra F. RRRR Johns Plea p. 291. Whether it be not best to celebrate the Lords Supper where it can be every Lords day this the Apostles used to do by so doing we shall return to the intire practise of the Churches in former ages SSSS How corrupt is the signe of the Crosse kneeling and uncovering of the head at the Lords Supper and such things which Scripture prescribes not but men have taken upon themselves thus breaking the second command and joyning their Posts and Thresholds with the Lords Men are thus drawn away from the simplicity of the practise used by Christ and his Apostles who sat when they ate and drank and did no more discover then before TTTT Johns Plea p. 294. To have love feasts on the dayes of the Lords Supper it is a thing indifferent to keep or leave them as they shall be used or abused or as every Church shall finde them to be most expedient for their estate VVVV Bar. Refut p. 43. Not here to mention the binding of the Faith of the Church to an Apocrypha Catechism Idem Disc p. 142. They are not ashamed to Preach and publikely Expound in their Church their fond Apocrypha Catechisms XXXX Bar. Disc p. 76. Their forged patchery commonly called The Apostles Creed YYYY His Refut p. 48. What Scripture can you bring for the blasphemous Article of Christs descent into hell ZZZZ Cans Necessity p. 44. Bare reading of the Word and single Service-saying is an English Popery and far be it from the Lords people to hear it for if they would do so they would offer to the Lord a corrupt thing and so incur that curse of Malachi AAAAA Johns Enquiry p. 7. We have in our Church the use of the exercise of Prophecie spoken of 1 Cor. 14. in which some of the Brethren which are for gifts best able though not in Office of the Ministery deliver from some portion of Scripture Doctrine Exhortation Comfort sometimes Two at a time sometimes more BBBBB Johns Enquiry p. 7. Then if there be occasion upon the Scriptures treated or questions propounded and answers made Bar. Disc p. 139. In that his priviledged Tub he may speak of what be list none of his auditory have power to call in question correct or refuse the same presently or publikely CCCCC Rob. Apol. p. 38. Prorsus inauditum ante haec nostra saecula sive inter gentes sive inter Judaeos sive inter Christianos ut Judicia publica aliive actus naturae publicae privatim aut seclusa plebe exercerentur Ibid. p. 51. Per plebem cujus Libertatem Jus suffragandi in negotiis vere publicis asserimus non intelligimus pueros mulieres sed solos viros eosque adultos DDDDD Browns Life and manners of all true Christians in the Preface or Treatise of Reformation without tarrying for any and of the wickednesse of those Preachers which will not reform till the Magistrate command or compel them p. 8. Know ye not that they which have their full and sufficient authority and calling are not to care for a further authority And hath not every lawful Pastor his full authority Ibid. p. 8. The Lord did not onely shew them the Tabernacle but bade them make it But these men will not make it at all because they will tarry for the Magistrate Ibid. p. 10. They could not force Religion as you would have the Magistrate to do And it was forbidden to the Apostles to preach to the unworthy or to force a planting or government in the Church The Lords Kingdom is not by force neither durst Moses nor any of the Kings of Judah force the people by Law or by power to receive the Church-Government But after they received it if then they fell away and sought not the Lord they might put them to death They do cry Discipline Discipline that is for a civil forcing to imprison the people or otherwise by violence to handle and beat them if they would not obey them Ibid. p. 11. The Lords people is of the willing sort they shall come unto Sion and inquire the way unto Jerusalem not by force nor compulsion but with their faces thitherward And p. 12. Because the Church is in a Common-wealth it is of the Magistrates charge that is concerning the outward Provision and outward Justice they are to look but to compel Religion to plant Churches by power and to force a submission to Ecclesiastical Government by Laws and Penalties belongeth not to them neither yet to the Church EEEEE Confess p. 32. Leaving the suppression of this Antichristian estate to the Magistrate to whom it belongeth FFFFF Bar. Refut In the Preface We acknowledge the Prince ought to compel all his Subjects to the hearing of Gods Word in the publike exercises of the Church yet cannot the Prince command any to be a member of the Church or the Church to receive any without assurance by their publike Profession of their own Faith or to retain any longer then they continue to walk orderly in the Faith GGGGG Bar. Disc p. 245. When Princes depart from the Faith and will not be reduced by admonition or reproof they are no longer to be held in the Faith of the Church but are to receive the censure of Christ as