I will raise up his ruines as in the dayes of old that they may possesse the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen that are called by my Name saith the Lord that doth this I will bring againe the captivity of my people Israel and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them and they shall plant vineyards and drinke the wine thereof they shall also make gardens and eate the fruit of them and I will plant them upon their land and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them saith the Lord God Now although this prophecy tooke no effect on the ten Tribes at their transplantation began by p 1 Chro. 5.6 2 King 15.29 ch 16.9 Tiglah Pileser King of Assyria and ended by q 2. King 17.5.6.24 ch 18.58 Shalmaneser his successour who also brought up strange Nations and placed them in their stead which people were from Samaria the ancient metropolis of that Province called r Ioh. 4.9 Samaritans yet who is able to maintaine that it was fulfilled on the other two for not the house of Joseph nor the house of Judah onely but the house of Jacob wholly is here spoken of And why else is the Tabernacle of David afterwards exprest as a prime agent in the restauration if it were not before included as a succeeding patient in the dispersion of Israel who then I say is able to maintaine that this prophecy was fulfill'd on Judah and Benjamin untill their overthrow by the Roman Emperour Vespasian ever since which time they also remaine forsaken scattered and despised captives yea who dares affirme it when God hath said that at their returne from this universal captivity he will so plant them in their land that they shall no * The usual answer of a conditionall promise will take no hâ—ld on this or the like places of Scripture For as God hath he past his word that he will no more pull them up out of their land so in the 32. chap. of Ier. at the 39 ver and 50. chap. at the 20. ver in the 36. of Ezek. at the 27. ver in the 37. chap. at the 23. ver in the 39. chap. at the 7. ver and in the 3. chap. of Zeph. at the 13. ver all which prophecies doe in the times of their fulfilling concurre with this he hath likewise promised To give them one way and one heart that they may feare him for ever Never to turne away from them to doe them good but to put his feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from him That the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sinnes of Iudah and they shall not be found That he will put his spirit within them and cause them to wâ—lke in his statutes and to keepe his judgements and doe them That they shall defile themselves no more with their idoles nor with their detestable things nor with any of their transgâ—essions That he will make his holy Name known in the midst of his people Israel and will not let them pollute his holy Name any more And that the remnant of Israel shall not doe iniquity nor speake lie neither shall a deceitfull tongue be found in their mouth And therefore God having thus equally ingaged himselfe as well to keepe the Iewes from sin as to free them from bondage it is as impossible that the accomplishment of this prophecy should be frustrated and the fruition of these blessings forfeited for want of obedience as that God should either forger or not regard or be unable to fulfill his word and consequently the appointed time for the finishing of such prophecies is yet to be expected more be pulled up out of it which yet should not be true if it had been spoken of any deliverance before our Saviours comming to suffer Mr. Petrie's Answer It is a like ground for such a Kingdom 1. How can it be denied that the house of Judah was destroyd when their Kings and people were caried out of the land 2. How can the Tabernacle of David be called a prime agent in the restauration it is said I will raise up the Tabernacle of David and not the Tabernacle of David shall raise up it is a patient and not an agent And none denieth that it is included in the dispersion of Israel and therefore that part of the prophecy was fulfilled even before the overthrow by the Roman Emperour and so before that overthrow was restored againe and afterwards also were they scattered But that promise of restauration is not of the house of Judah but of the people of Israel verse 14. and who these be wee have a sufficient interpreter Act. 15.16 where the Apostle Iames expones these words of the enlarging Chrisi's Kingdom by the calling of the Gentiles which was begun at that time by the preaching of the Apostle and Ro. Stephanus in his notes on this text of Amos saith Almost all the Hebrews doe consent That this is meant of the time of Messias and especially of the calling of the Gentiles and by bodily houses and benefits the Prophet understands spirituall and these who are begotten unto this lively hope are kept most safely through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 so that the gates of Hell shall not Prevaile against them Mat. 16.18 Whereas it is asked who dares affirme it Zacharias hath not spared to affirme it Luke 1.68 saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up an horne of salvation in the house of David his servant as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets c. Dare any Millenarian contradict this testimony Reply 1 This prophecy of Amos speakes of a deliverance of the Jews out of a captivity after which they should no more be pulled up out of their land And therefore cannot be meant of the returne of Judah and Benjamin from Babylon since which they have fallen into a greater captivity then that was but of their returne from the captivity they are now in This you saw to be the necessary consequence of the proper sense of the prophecy and therefore you wrest that part of it which concernes the deliverance of the Jewes to another meaning But first you cavill and aske how it can be denied that the house of Judah was destroied when their Kings and people were carried out of their land Surely that they were in a sad condition it cannot be denied but that they were destroyed it may for how else could they have return'd yet this thing too Haman sought to bring to passe on the Jewes in his time and you know how well he and his adherents sped in the device But what of all this who denies that they were carried captives into Babylon I say onely that this prophecy was not fulfill d in Judah's captivity there but in their captivity under the Romans and that because the
Redemption The next prophecy shall be that of Joel who mentions the very signes which our Saviour said should be the immediate fore-runners of the Jewes Redemption And it shall come to passe afterwards saith he in his 2. chap. at the 28 ver that I will powre out my spirit upon all flesh and your sinnes and your daughters shall prophecy your old men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visions and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those dayes will I powre out my spirit and I will shew wonders in the Heavens and in the earth blood and fire and pillars of smoake the Å¿ Isa 24. v. 23. Mat. 24. v. 29. Rev. 6. v. 12. Sun shall be turned into darkenesse and the Moone into blood before the * Great not onely in regard of the strangenesse and dreadfulnes of events of things then to come to passe but great also in regard of the long continuance and tract of time which God in his revelations hereafter to be fulfild doth by the word Day as well without this epither as with it frequently import great and terrible t Ezek. 39.8 Mal. 4.5 Iude 6. Rev. 16.14 Day of the Lord come And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be delivered for in Mount Zion and in Hierusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call And in the 3. chap. at the 1. ver Behold in those daies and in that time when I shall bring againe the captivity of Judah and Hierusalem I will also gather all Nations and will bring them downe into the valley of Jehosaphat which in the 14. verse is called the valley of decision and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the Nations and parted my Land And at the 15. verse againe The Sun and the Moone shall be darkened and the starres shall withdraw their shining the Lord also shall roare out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem and the u Isa 2.19 c. Ezek. 38.19.20 Hag 2.22 Mat. 24.29 Rev. 16.18 ch 6.13.14 Heavens and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel Mr. Petrie's Answer The Apostle Peter not onely makes use of these words but expones them and shewes the accomplishment of them in some degree as it is said in the sixth rule before for Act. 2.16 he saith This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Ioel And it shall come to passe in the last daies c. And verse 22. Ye men of Israel heare these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles wonders and signes which God did by him in the midst of you as ye your selves know Reply The Apostle repeats but expounds not the Prophets words and consequently shewes not the accomplishment of ought that the Prophet affirms shall be done All that he shewes is this That the thing which then happened to the Apostles was the worke of the same spirit which Joel spake of but he saith not that it was the same worke The same spirit indeed was then powred out but it was not the same powring out of the spirit And for want of distinguishing betwixt the effusion of the same spirit and the same effusion of the spirit you affirme that those things which the Prophet saies the spirit shall doe not long before the Lord's second comming were then done at his first comming And the reason you bring from St. Peters words Act. 2. verse 22. to shew that the prophecy of Joel was then fulfild in part is a very strange one For the Prophet shewes what others shall doe through the extraordinary inspiration of the Spirit before the Day of the Lord comes and the words you have alledg'd doe shew what works Christ himselfe did when he was come Israel's Redemption I am not ignorant that the darkening of the Sun and Moone is sometimes taken allegorically and by way of allusion but that therefore it should be so understood here it doth not follow for where it is figuratively applyed it signifies the judgement it selfe which is to befall those people of whom it is spoken but where it is literally used it is put onely for a signe of an eminent destruction which shall suddenly follow it as the great and terrible Day of the Lord shall doe at the accomplishment of this prophecy Mr. Petrie's Answer Where the darkenesse of the Sun and so it may be understood of the Moone is used properly it is not put onely for a signe of an eminent and imminent destruction as it is manifest Luke 23.45 which was a Testimony from Heaven of Christ's innocency for conviction of the murtherers and chap. 21.25 the signes in the Sun and Moone and in the starres and the distresse of Nations upon the earth with perplexity and the roaring of the sea and waves are all to be understood properly as signes before the great and terrible Day of the Lord. So what is promised in the 28. and 29. verses of the second chap. of Joel was truely albeit not altogether fulfilled in the daies of Peter even how-beit the words of the 30. and 31. verses be properly understood and not wholly fulfild til the time immediately preceding the last comming of Christ Reply That the darkning of the Sun or of the Moone properly taken especially if supernaturall as this here is a signe of an eminent and imminent destruction you confesse but that it is onely so you deny And were this true I have not spoken much out of the way But the instance you bring of the darkning of the Sun at the time of our Saviours passion makes nothing for you For whereas you say it was a testimony from Heaven of Christ's innocency for conviction of the murtherers the historie of the Gospel tels you no such thing and interpreters are against you Sicut enim Deus tenebris involvebat terram Aegyptum sic etiam nunc totam Judâ—â—am in signum iraâ—i Dei et futurae poenae saith Pareus on the 27. chap. of Mat. at the 45. verse that is As God did once bring darknesse on the land of Egypt so likewise did he now on the land of Judea as a signe of his wrath and their ensuing punishment So Chrysostome too It was an undoubted signe of Gods anger for that which they did against him And Origen It was a presage of the future darknesse which should over-spread the whole Jewish Nation To which Dr. Mayer consents and with Origen concludes from the time of the darknesse continuance being three houres that the Jewish Nation should be in darknesse till about the Evening of the world Although then Christ's innocency may well be gathered from it yet for ought I can finde you goe alone in alledging it as a reason of the darknesse
is a restauration after the destruction of Israel and not a Monarchy of the Jewes after the calling of the Gentiles Whereby it is manifest that in this note is a twofold error one inserting the words in the prophecy which are not in it another in misinterpreting the words of the Apostle Reply The Prophet Amos doth neither before nor at the 11. ver speake of the calling of the Gentiles but at the 12. ver where they are exprest And it hath been shewed before that the Apostle cites not the 11. ver for the calling of the Gentiles but for the conversion and deliverance of the Jewes after the calling of the substituted Gentiles For the Apostle having said Simcon hath declared how God at first did visit the Gentiels to take out of them a people for his Name confirmes it by this prophecy of Amos which in the 12. ver shewes that there should be some Nations of the Gentiles upon whom Gods Nune should be cal'd or who should be cal'd by Gods Name whilst David's Tabernacle lay waste whilst the Jewes were to continue in blindnesse And surely seeing there are so many prophecies which shew the generall conversion of the Gentiles at the restoring of the Jewes the Apostle in passing by them and alledging this prophecy to shew that God would at that time take but a part of the Gentiles to be a people for his Name doth to my thinking thereby plainly shew that the Jewes were then to be given up and to be no moâ—e Godâ— people until that day in which he hath appointed to build againe the Tabernacle of David at which time the residue of mâ—n also shall seeke the Lord as well as the Gentiles on whom God's Name is already cal'd You tell us next that the Prophet hath not these words after this but in these dayes But though the Prophet hath not these words yet the prophecy hath as the Apostle cites it who saith to this agree the words of the Prophets iâ— it written After this â— And the prophets words are not in these dayes but in that Day in that Day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that great Day of Christs Kingdom Neither is it likely that the Apostle cited the words after this in reference to what the Prophet had said which was not questioned buâ— rather to what he himselfe had said And if wee should referre these words to the foregoeing destruction of Israel how doth this prove that their restauration shall not follow the calling of the substituted Gentiles whenas it is evident that their threatned dispersion and sifting among all Nations after which they should be againe restored was more to be fulfilled upon them in the time of the substituted Gentiles calling then before and seeing you confesse that the preceding destruction was denounced against the Jewes onely how could you beleeve that by the raising of the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and building of it as in the dayes of old is meant the calling of the Gentiles and not the restoring of the Kingdom and people of David whom the foresaid judgement should ruine And yet you seeme to be so confident of the currantnesse of this exposition that you thus peremptorily conclude It is manifest that in this note is a twofold errour one inserting the words in the prophecy which are not in it another in misinterpreting the Apostle's words Certainely it is very manifest what spirit was predominant in you when you penned these bold and lowd untruths For did I insert the words after this into the prophecy or did the same Spirit who revealed the prophecy by Amos rehearse it thus by the Apostle search and see Nay doe you not say before and howbeit the Apostle cite them so whom then doe you here accuse of error me or him And as for misinterpreting the words of the Apostle it is already shewen that you would faine father your misinterpreting of it on the Apostle To which this may be added That the Prophet doth make a plaine distinction betwixt the people meant by the Tabernacle of David and the people meant by the remnant of Edom and all the heathen which are called by Gods Name For he saith that those meant by the Tabernacle of David shall possesse these What can the same people be the possessours and the possessed surely so it must be according to your interpreting of the building of Davids Tabernacle of the calling of the Gentiles seeing in the 12. ver not onely the remnant of Edom but the heathen that were to be called in the Jewes steed are plainly spoken of Or take it as the Apostle delivers it And then in your sense it will be thus After this I will returne and call againe the Gentiles that the residue of men that is the Gentiles which are not yet to be called may seeke the Lord all the Gentiles upon whom my Name is now to be cal'd Or thus that the residue of men that is all the Gentiles that are now to be cal'd may seek the Lord all the Gentiles upon whom my name is already cal'd And what sense is there in either of these interpretations one of which must needs follow upon your interpreting of the building of David's Tabernacle of the calling of the Gentiles by the Apostles seeing the conversion of the Gentiles upon whom God's Name is cal'd in the prophecy was to precede the conversion of the Gentiles meant by the residue of men And besides The building of the Tabernacle of David as in the dayes of old doth infallibly shew the restoring of a people to that estate condition they were formerly in which cannot be said of the Gentiles who were never before God's people The Marginall note And consequently that the Jewes endeavour to hinder the growth of the Gospel 1. Thess 2.14.15 was a sure proofe of the conversion of the Gentiles their owne rejection who unto the death of Christ were the peculiar people of God not wholly cast off until by their wilful unbeleife they forced the Apostles to turne from them to other Nations Act. 13.44 45 46. to whom God had not formerly revealed himselfe therefore could not at that time be said to returne unto the Gentiles whom he had but then receiv'd no nor to the Jewes whom he had then and not til then quite forsaken So that if we consider the Returning of God here mention'd in the prophecy to be appliable only to the Jews to whom alone God had so long before made himselfe known yet that the Jews were shortly after the calling of the Gentiles quite forsaken we must needs grant that their great happines here foretold hath not been yet injoyed but shall be when the fulnesse of the succedaneous Gentiles is come in And wherefore did the Apostle change the Prophet's in that day will I raise up into After this will I returne and build wherefore I say did he or rather the Holy Ghost in him make choyce of this
take of them for Priests and for Levites saith the Lord. For as the new Heavens and the new earth which I will make to wit at the judgement of the dead when this Heaven and Earth shall passe away as it is in the 20. chap. of the Rev. at the 11. ver and in the 21 chap. at the 1. ver as these shall remaine before mee saith the Lord so shall your seed and your name remaine to wit after their foresaid returne from captivitie And it shall come to passe that from one new Moone to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to z Psal 68. ver 29.31 Psal 100. v. 1 2.4 worship before me saith the Lord and they shall goe forth and looke upon the carkasses of the men that have transgressed against me for their worme shall not dye neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh Read also in the 61. chap. the a Isa 53. v. 12. 4 5 6 7. verses and in the 60. chap. the 9 10 11 b Jer. 12. ver 14 15 16 17. 12 13 14 15 16. verses and in the 49. chap. the 22 23. ver and in the 25. chap. the 6 7 8. verses and in the 14. chap. the c Dan. 7. ver 18.21.27 1. d Isa 55. v. 5. Zech. 2. v. 9.11 2. e Ezek. 39. ver 10. 3. ver and in the 2. chap. the f Isa 49. v. 6. chap. 60. v. 3. 1 Tim. 2. v. 4. 2 3 g Psal 46. v. 9. Hosea 2. v. 18. 4. verses The same Prophecie also you may finde in the 4. chapter of Micah at the 1 2. verses and not much unlike unto this is that in the 8. ch of Zechariah at the 20 22 23. verses and that in the 1.4 chap. at the 16 17. ver c. Mr. Petrie's Answer It is now manifest that these forenamed Prophecies are not of the earthly prosperity of the Jewes onely and we know certainly that the Gentiles are partakers with the Jewes so that the proofe of this point is needlesse and neverthelesse he filleth up some pages with Prophecies to this purpose Reply Now we are come to the Prophecies that decide the difference for the very ground of the controversie is Whether the Jewes and Gentiles are already joyn'd into one Church which you affirme and we denie and yet both agree that these Prophecies doe foreshew their uniting And what then doe they say of it certainly they say not that the Jewes and Gentiles were united into one Church whil'st the Church was amongst the Jewes onely and some Gentiles were cal'd into it as iâ— was before Christs comming neither doe they say that they are united into one Church whilst the Church is to be amongst the Gentiles onely and some Jewes cal'd into it as it hath been since Christs comming but this they say that at their uniting the whole Nation of the Jewes and all Nations of the Gentiles that are left shall worship God after the same manner at Ierusalem This they shew of themselves and compar'd with the Prophecies which concerne our Saviours reigne on earth they infallibly declare too that at their uniting all Nations in the world shall make but one Church and Kingdome under the government of our Lord Jesus Christ which is enough to shew that in the ensuing discourse you doe but vainly kick against the pricks and manifest an obstinate apostasie from the truth But lest the unlearned Reader should mistake mole-hils for mountaines and shadowes for substances wee must proceed to examine your Answers And first you tell us It is now manifest that these forenamed Prophecies are not of the earthly prosperity of the Jewes onely What is it manifest that these forenamed Prophecies speake not onely of the prosperity of the Jewes because the prosperitie of those dayes belongs not to the Jewes onely because I say these Prophecies here doe shew that the Gentiles shall be partakers with them in the peace piety and plentie of that time who sees not this non sequitur the independencie of this inference These last Prophecies shew that the prosperous estate of the Gentiles shall be dependent on their voluntary submission to and union with the Jewes therefore those forenamed Prophecies touching the Jewes returne unto and prosperitie in their owne Land are not of the prosperitie of the Jewes onely such bald untruths and sophisticall Arguments doe stop many a breach in this worke of yours and help very much to gaine the simple and to hold up the considence of the prejudioâ—te Christian You goe on and say we know certainly that the Gentiles are partakers with the Jewes Partakers of what of the happinesse which the accomplishment of the Prophecies here alledg'd was to bring forth unto them You must first prove that these Prophecies are fulfill'd before you can affirme that they are partakers of the contemporating happinesse reveal'd in them and unlesse you meane that they are partakers with them of the happinesse foreshewed in these Prophecies you doe but equivocate in saying that the Gentiles are partakers with the Jewes And yet you conclude so that the proofe of this point is needlesse and neverthelesse he filleth up some pages with Prophecies to this purpose Doubtlesse this is spoken of purpose to bâ—ffle the Reader from a serious consideration of the union which these Prophecies speake of which is so obvious that every ordinary apprehension may of it selfe perceive that it is not yet accomplished and this you knew very well and therefore have not so much as quoted the Chapters or bookes where these Prophecies are reveal'd Was not this after all your braving to plead guilty For if this point was needlesse you might so much the rather have afforded the Reader a sight of or at least a direction unto the Prophecies so needlessely alledged seeing you could not have wisht for a greater advantage against me But when you passe over the former Prophecies untoucht and keep these wholly out of sight who will not conclude from hence that you could not possibly disprove the proper and historicall accomplishment of them and consequently that the time of their accomplishment is not yet come Israel's Redemption I know that most of these Prophecies are chiefly interpreted of the joyning together of the Jewes and Gentiles in one Church and rightly Mr. Petrie's Answer If they be chiefly and rightly interpreted so why should we not acquiesce shall we goe about to inerpret them unrightly that were to put out our eyes and deceive our selves and others Reply As I say that Interpreters doe rightly affirme that these Prophecies doe concerne the joyning together of the Jewes and Gentiles into one Church so I say also that they doe wrongfully apply the accomplishment of these Prophecies to the time of the substituted Gentiles calling And therefore by your fallacious dividing of these words from that which followes you doe wilfully put out your owne eyes that so
administration of their Government seeing Isaiah chap. 14. ver 2. saith plainly that they shall take them captives whose captives they were and shall rule over their oppressours And suppose that none of the unglorified Jewes should be imployed in this government yet when our Saviour himselfe shall be King over all the earth and all the Saints that come with him Princes under him when the Nation of the Jewes shall be his naturall Subjects and all other Nations tributaries and servants unto them when they shall be comprehended by the name of Saints with those undefiled ones that Christ shall bring with him when all this shall be what Nation shall the Gentiles be said to be governed by but by that which they live in subjection unto and of whom their King came and amongst whom he shall reigne And thus much touching your first pretence that the Gentiles shall not be judged by the Jewes because the Jewes are to be judged by the Apostles Which is all one as if you should say that a Nation that live under any government it selfe cannot governe other Nations that are in subjection unto it Your next pretence is that our Saviours words are not meant of the Apostles judging in a temporall Monarchy seeing the Angels shall not be judged before the universall Judgement But where doe you finde that our Saviours promise to the Apostles is not to be fulfill'd before the judging of the Angels And what shall we understand by the twelve Tribes of Israel according to your opinion shall weâ— take them for the rest of the glorified Saints no no they cannot for they shall be all Judges at the universall Judgement as well as the Apostles Shall we take them then for the reprobate of the Jewish Nation Surely wee finde no such signification of these words in all the Scripture neither doe wee find it taught by any that the reprobate of one Nation shall be judged by some of the Saints onely and the reprobate of another Nation by others of the Saints but that all the Saints shall joyntly judge all the reprobate both Angels and men onely by assenting to the Judgement that our Saviour himselfe shall give against them and this may be gathered from the Apostle who saith not thus Know yee not that the Apostles or Prophets but know yee not that we shall judge the Angels he speakes of all and not of some Saints only seeing then the twelve Tribes of Israel as you apply this saying to the universall Judgement can neither be taken for the rest of the glorified Saints nor for the reprobate Jewes it must needs follow that you are out in your application and consequently the twelve Tribes of Israel must be taken for the Nation of the Jewes over which the Apostles shall sit as Judges in the time of our Saviours reigne on earth And how else should this promise of our Saviour implie a priviledge to the Apostles above the rest of the glorified Saints for their following him in the time of his temptation if it did not constitute them alone to be supreme Judges under him over that Nation which shall be nearest and dearest unto him in his Kingdome for seeing all other Saints shall joyne with them in judging of the reprobate Angels much more shall they in judging the reprobate Jewes which cannot be so much honour unto the Disciples as the judging of the reprobate Angels and so the great priviledge which our Saviour promised the Disciples shall according to your opinion be farre inferiour to that which St. Paul affirmes to be common to all the Saintâ— And whereas you sâ—â— that the Apostle saith how much more things appertaining unto this life whereby it appeares that in the first part of the verse he understands a judgement not in this life Wee grant your conclusion for we know that the Angels were not to be judged by the faithful Corinthians and the rest of the Saints before their departure out of this life or before the redemption of their bodies at our Saviours appearing but that they shall be judged by them after their reigning with Christ after their judging of the world a thousand yeares And so the glory of the Kingdome of Israel is not yet diminished by any of your feeble falicies and indigested imaginations Israel's Redemption And this is as much as I need say though not above halfe that the Prophets say concerning the Kingdome in the tâ—â—â— I will therefore shut up all with that solemne protestation of God in the 31. chap. of Jer. at the 35. ver Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sunne for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moone and of the Starres for a light by night which divideth the Sea when the waves thereof roare the Lord of Hosts is his name If those Ordinances u Jer. 33. ver 20.25 depart from before me saith the Lord then shall the seed of Israel also cease from being a Nation before mee for ever Thus saith the Lord If heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord. And with that humble complaint of Israel whom God in the 7. of Mioah at the 8. ver makâ—â— to prophecie thus of her selfe Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall rise when I sit in darknesse the Lord will be a light unto mee I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute Judgement for me He will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold 〈◊〉 righteousnesse Mr Petrie's Answer We acknowledge both in their owne sense and trâ—th 〈◊〉 noâ—â—ing 〈◊〉 in them nor collected out of them for proofe of this purpose Reply If you will acknowledge them both in their owne sense you must acknowledge them to be for our purpose for you must acknowledge that the Nation of the Jewes which now sâ—â— in darknesse which now heares the indignation of the Lord because she hath sinned against him shall againe be brought forth to the light by him as Micah saith here And the foresaid protestation of God by Jer. chap. 31. touching the preserving of the Jewish Nation will force you to acknowledge your errour page 20. where you say that now through many agâ—s Ephraimites are not knowne in any part of the earth Israel's Redemption And so I passe from the thing to be restor'd which is the Kingdome of Israel to the Person by whom it is to be restor'd which is Christ the Lord at his next appearing For they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore againe the Kingdome to Israel Mr. Petrie's Answer If the temporall Kingdome of the Jewes could be demonstrated out of the Scriptures the question a nent the King might more easily be resolved and neverthelesse these few millenaries cannot agree concerning the person of their King
he cannot put it into act untill he descend to take the Kingdomes of this world unto himselfe Thus we finde that he had power to lay downe his life and power to take it againe before he did either John 10.18 And that all judgâ—ment even the judgment of the great day was committed unto him at his fiâ—st comming John 5.22 And thus it appeares that aâ—l your answers to the consequâ—nces by which we have proved our Saviours visible reigne on earth are of no consequence at all ISRAELS REDEMPTION CHAP. II. That Christ shall reigne personally on Earth prov'd by expresse Prophesie ANd thus it hath bin proved by consequence that our Saviour shall hereafter reigne on earth You shall now heare it directly and expressely affirmed Behold saith the Angel to the Virgine Mary thou shall conceive in thy wombe and bring forth a Sonne and shalt call his name Jesus he shall be great and shall be called the Sonne of the Highest and the Lord shall give unto him the u Matth. 2.6 Acts 2.30.31 Throne of his Father David Luke 1.31 Behold saith Jeremiah in chap. 23. ver 5. c. the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall †Ch. 33.15.16 reigne and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice x Isa 8 8. Job 19.25 Hob. 1.2 in the * Whatsoever losse Luke 19.11 12 13.14 c. Acts 3 19.20.21 Revel 11.15 Rom. 4.13 the disobedience of the first Adam brought on himselfe and his posterity that no doubt the second Adam hath recovered with advantage for himselfe and his chosen But the first Adam lost not onely hiâ— right to heaven but the happy estate too which an innocent life would for a long time have continued to him and his on earth And therefore that intercourse and familiarity with God that rule and command over men and all other creatures which Adam before the advancement of mankinde to it highest happinesse should have here enjoyed if he had not fell that and fore more then that shall Christ with hiâ— chosâ—n inherit at his next appearing And now seeing even reason it selfe doth thus strongly â—â—ation for our Saviours future soveraignty what unreasonablenesse were it in us any longer to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bt the literall accomplishment of these and all other sacred revelations which so fully describe and â—â—â—â—â—earely confirme it earth In hiâ— dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousnesse Behold saith Zechâ—â—riah in chap. 6. ver 12. the man whose name is the Branch and he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the Temple of the Lord even he shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall beare the glory and shall sit and rule upon his Throne and he shall be a Priest upon his Throne and the Counsel of peace shall be betweene them both And in Ezek. 34.22 c. I will save my flocke and they shall no more be a prey and I will judge betweene cattell and cattell and I will set up one Shepheard over them and he shall feede them even my Servat David he shall feede them and he shall be their Shepheard And I the Lord will be their God and my Servant David a Prince among them I the Lord have spoken it And in chap. 37. ver 24. c. David my Servant shall be King over them and they shall have one Shepheard and they shall also walke in my judgements and observe my Statutes and doe them and they shall dwell in the Land that I have given unto Jacob my Servant wherein your Fathers have dwelt and they shall dwell therein even they and their children for ever and my Servant David shall be their Prince for ever And in Isai 9.6 c. Vnto us a child is borne unto us a Sonne is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counseller the mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of peace Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end Vpon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever the zeale of the Lord of Hosts will performe this And in chap. 52. ver 13. c. Behold my Servant shall deale prudently he shall be y Psal 118.22.23 24. c. exalted and extolled and he very high As many were z 1 Luke 2.34 35. astonied at thee his visage to wit at the time of his suffering was so marred more then any man and his forme more then the sonnes of men So to wit at his next appearing shall he sprinkle many Nations the Kings shall shut their mouthes as him for that which had not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider And in Micah 4.6 c. In that day saith the Lord will I assemble her that halteth and I will gather her that is driven out and ber that I have afflicted and I will make her that halted a remnant â—â—â—â—ber that was cast farre a Rom 〈…〉 15.32 â—ff a strong Nation and the Lord shall reigne over them in Mount Zion from henceforth even for ever And in Psal 72.6 c. He shall come downe like raine upon the mowne grasse as showers that water the earth In his dayes shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the Moone endureth He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth They that dwell in the wildernesse shall how before him and his enemies shall licke the dust The Kings of Tarshish and of the â—fles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheha and Seba shall offer gifts Yea all Kings shall fall b Ps 68.29.31 Isa 45.22.23 downe before him c Psal 22.27.28 Phil. 2.10 Rev. 14.6 7. chap. 15.4 all Nations shall praise him And in Psal 102.13 c. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come for thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof So the heathen shall feare the Name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appeare in his glory Now that these prophecies concâ—rne the reigne of Christ alone I thinke no man doubts and that they are already fulfilled it cannot be proved Mr. Petrie's Answer These texts may prove something against your fellow Mr. Archer who thinks that Christ after he hath put the Jewes in possession of their Monarchy shall ascend againe into the heavens and the Jewes in the meane time shall reigne till his third comming But they prove nothing against us who hold that Christ reigneth on the true Throne of David Reply This answer
is a double confession of the truth you oppose for first in sâ—ying That these texts prove something against Mr. Archer who thinks that Christ after he hath put the Jewes in possession of their Monarchy shall ascend againe into the heavens you plainely acknowledge that they prove his abode amongst them to governe their restored Kingdome And consequently that you your selfe are in an errour in denying the restauration of their Kingdome as well as Mr. Archer was in denying Christs personall and immediate government of it And secondly in saying That they prove nothing against you who hold that Christ reigneth on the true Throne of David You acknowledge likewise that these prophecies doe prove that our Saviour was to reigne on the true Throne of David and consequently that seeing he hath not yet he shall hereafter reigne over the whole Nation of the Jewes in their owne d land â—â—er 33.15 â—6 17. The Throne of Israel on which David reigned being the true Throne of David and no other But to say that Christ now reigneth on the true Throne of David is to affirme that he is now reigning over the Jewes in the Land of Judea and what can be further from truth then this Israel's Redemption For neither did Christ at his first comming sit on Davids Throne nor any other of Davids linage or of that Tribe or of the other Tribes For the Scepter was then departed from Judah and a Law-giver from between his feete Mr. Petrie's Answer He sits on the right hand of the Throne of Majesty in heaven Heb. 8.1 which was typified by the Throne of David Reply You told us even now That Christ reigneth on the true Throne of David And you tell us here That he sits on the right hand of the Throne of Majâ—sty in heaven which was typified by the Throne of David And doth he reigne then on both these Thrones at once on the true Throne of David the type and on the Throne of God he antitype too But I pray what scripture doth teach you to call the Throne of David a type of the Throne of God Surely if this were so Christ must needes have reigned on the Throne of his Father David before he could have been exalted to the right hand of the Throne of Majesty on high Because the possession of the typicall Throne must needes pr cede the possession of the typified Throne This therefore is an unwarrantable conceit and we know that these prophecies speake onely of his reigning on the Throne of his Father David and not of his reigni g on the Throne of God And if by the Throne of David which is promised to Christ is meant the Throne of God what then is meant by the Throne of the House of Israel which is promised to him Jer. 33.17 Is not this all one with the Throne of David if it be then by the Throne of David cannot be meant the Throne of God unlesse you will say that by the Throne of Israel the Throne of God is meant also And if the Throne of Israel be not meant of the Throne of David then tell us what it is and why you take it to be all one with the Throne of David pag 26. where you alledge this text of Jeremiah to shew that the promises of the Priesthood and of the Kingdome are conjoyned and mixed after the same straine And tell us too what is meant by the Kingdome of David upon which Christs government is said to be as well as upon the Throne of David Isai 9.7 And besides what reason can you alledge wherefore we should not as well take that part of these prophecies in a proper sense which speakes of our Saviours reigning on the Throne of David as that part which speakes of his being borne of the seede of David the one being revealed unto us in as plaine termes as the other Israel's Redemption Neither were Judah and Israel then in the Land together Mr. Petrie's Answer There is neither Jew nor Greeke neither bond nor free neither male nor female but we are all one in Christ Jesus and if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heires according to the promise Gal. 3 28. Reply In the 23 chap. of Jer. we reade this prophecy Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reigne and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice on the earth In his dayes Judâ—â—h shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall be saved The Lord our righteousnesse In which words there are these particulars foretold first that Christ should be borne of the seede of David I will raise unto David a righteous Branch Secondly that he should reigne And a King shall reigne and prosper Thirdly how he should reigne to wit civilly as other Kings which is set forth first by the quality of his administration And shall execute judgement and justice Secondly by the place where he should doe it On the earth Thirdly by the people amongst whom the Jewes the Tribes of Judâ—â—h and Israel And fourthly by the time when to wit when the Jewes should be redeemed out of captivity and sâ—tled in their land When Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely Now of all these particulars there is but one already accomplisht which is that touching our Saviours incarnation and the rest remaine to be fulfi led â—t his next appearing Amongst which I have alledged onely the last to prove that our Saviours reigning here foreshewed was not fulfilled at his first appearing to wit because Israel was not then in the land with Iudah To which you give no other answer but this There is neither Jew nor Greeke neither bond nor free nor male nor female but we are all one in Christ Jesus and if we be Christs then are ne Abrahams seed and heires according to the promise And what then doth this make the prophecies oâ— God of none effect may the reader conclude from hence Therefore Iudah and Israel shall not dwell safely in the land together nor Christ be sent to reigne over them on the Throne of David Surely he may as well conclude Therefore amongst Christians there are no men nor women no masters nor servants no Iewes nor Gentiles But the Apostles words will countenance no such contradictory infeâ—ences for his meaning is That grace doth conjoyne and assimulate those whom naturall and civill respect doe difference and div de For they that have put on Christ are not distinguisht in him he saith as they are in the world by nation fexe and condition but they are all one They are one in denomination and title being all Christians they are one in ranke and society being all of one mysticall body they are one people being all Abrahams seed and they have one inheritance being fellow-heires according to the promise And what though the beleeving Gentile be one in Christ with
reigne over the Iewes in their owne land and that Ierusalem shall againe be built Why should we not beleeve that both the building of the Temple of the Lord and his reigning on the Throne of his Father David shall be as properly fulfilled in Christ the antitype as they were in Solomon the type Whereas then you say further That in this sense the Disciples did beleeve the Scriptures after the resurrection of Christ I pray what scriptures this prophecy Surely it is false that they did any where cite this prophecy to prove our Saviours resurrection from the dead And the words of the Evangelist are plaine When therefore he was risen from the dead saith Iohn his Disciples remembred that he had said this unto them to wit that he had said to the Iewes Destroy this Temple c. and they beleeved the Scripture that is the scripture which foreshewes our Saviours resurrection as Psal 16. alledged by Saint Peter Acts 2.25 c. and Psal 2.7 alledged by Saint Paul Acts 13.33 c. And the word which Iesus had said that is and they beleeved also that this saying of his to the Iewes was meant of the resurrection of his body and not as you say they did that it was an interpretation of Zechariah's prophecy which for shewes indeed the building of the Temple of the Lord but not the destroying of it by the Iewes nor the building of it in three dayes no nor the building of it untill the man whose name is the Branch should sit and rule on his Throne Neither did our Saviour say plainely Destroy the Temple of the Lord as the false witnessâ—s acâ—used him nor absolutely destroy the Temple but darkely and inrelation to his owne body destroy this Temple as his words touching the raising of it in three dayes doe intimate and the Evangelist doth afterwards expound it And he said also I will raise it and not I will build it which shewes the making of a Temple where was none before and therefore cannot be applyed to the quickening of our Saviours body a temple then in being and not to be corrupted in death And as for your confused exposition of the prophecy of Zech. 14.4 c. it is not onely contrary to the truth but to reason it selfe For first which is flat against the truth you ascribe the accomplishment of this prophecy to our Saviours ascending to the Saints in heaven and to the time succeeding his ascension whereas it is manifest by the words in the first verse which you have concealed And the Lord my God shall come and aâ—l the Saints with thee that it is to be fulfilled at his descending with the Saints from heaven and in the time succeeding his descension And secondly which is not onely against the truth but against reason also you affirme That by the cleaving of the Mount of Olives towards the East and towards the West is meant the shaking of all the world at the preaching of the Gospell And That by the Iewes flying to the valley of the mountaines is meant their imbracing of the Gospell Which is as if you had said that the Iewes did then imbrace the Gospell when they fled from it or that the Iewes in flying from the Gospell fled to the Gospell For as you interpret the cleaving of the Mount of Olivers from which the Iewes were to fly of the preaching of the Gospell so you interpret the valley of the mountaines to which the Iewes were to flee of the same also And who sees not by this and by your expounding of the 6 and 7 verses Of the perpetual â—ight of the Gospell and the 8 verse Of the continuall flâ—â—wing of the doctrine of the Gospell and all of the Gospell and of nothing but of the Gospell that by such a liberty of interpreting any one may make the plainâ—st scripture that is to say onely as he faith and so to patronize and defend any dangerous opinion against the truth clearely revealed in it The truth therefore of this prophecy is no other then that which the Prophet himselfe hath plainely told us to wit that the Mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst by an earthquake at the comming of our Saviour with all the Saints and that the Iewes which are gathered together neere unto it shall then flye for feare of this earthquake as they fled for feare from before the earthquake in the dayes of Vzziah King of Judah And the effect of this earthquake is described ver 10. where it is said And all the Land shall be turned as a plaine from Gâ—ha to Rimmâ—n South of Jerusalem and it shall be lifted up and inhabited in her place from Benjamins gate unto the place of tho first gate unto the corner gate and from the tower of Hananiel un to the Kings wiae-presser And man shall dwell in it and there shall be no more utter destruction but Ierusalem shall be safely inhabited And as this part so all the rest of the prophecy is to be understood likewise according to its owne stile and language which is so obvious that it needes no inter preration and the light thereof cannot be more obscured then by such a glosse as you have put upon it And thus it being undeniable that this prophecy of Zech. doth foreshew our Saviours second comming his comming with all the Saints and the things then no be performed by him it necessarily followes That he shall come not onely to conquer death first in part at the resurrection of the Saints that shall rise to meete him and to come with him and then wholly at the resurrection of all others when he shall passe the sentence of salvation on the elect and of damnation on the reprobate but in the interim in the space betwixt this first and second resurrection to be King over all the earth as this Prophet saith ver 9. to take the Kingdomes of this world unto himselfe as Saint Iohn reveals Rev. 11.15 to put downe all rule and all authority as Saint Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.24 and to set up that dominion glory and Kingdome at the manifestation whereof all people nations and languages shall serve him as Daniel foreshewes chap. 7. ver 14. which he shall doe by an extraordinary destroying of the most and greatest of his enemies in batte'l and by causing every one that is left of the Nations to goe up from yeare to yeare to Ierusalem to worship the King the Lord of Hafts as Zech. here and many other Prophets besides doe declare Israel's Redemption You see here that our Saviour comes not onely to conquer death which is the last enemy that he shall d stroy and therefore not wholly to be destroyed till the last resurrection but also to take the Kingdomes of this world unto himselfe to put downe as Saint Paul hath said all the authority and power of other Nations that there may be one shepheard and one sheep-fold Dan. 7.27 that the Kingdome and dominion
their generall conversion For the * Isa 32. ver 13 14 15. time is set in which the Spirit shall be poured on them from on high and in which their so plentifully and so plainely foretold deliverance shall be fully accomplished at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ And therefore beloved Reader seeing thou knowest these things before beware that thou be not still led away with the errour of an unwarrantable and indeed pernicious intepretation by reason whereof the way of truth is evill spoken of but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to whom be glory both now and for ever Amen Farewell Thine in the service of the Lord ROBERT MATON AN ANSWER TO Mr. PETRIE'S Preface Preface FIrst Some Prophecies speake plainly of Christ and cannot be understood of another Esa 9.6 Unto us a child is borne unto us a sonne is given his name shall be called Wonderfull c. Some are typicall or delivered with covers of things signifying Christ his offices and benefits And of these some are spoken of the type or thing signifying and can be understood onely of the thing signified and some are true both of the type and of Christ either in the same or in a different manner that is some are true of both in a proper sense some are true of both in a tropicall or figurative sense and some are true of the one properly and of the other figuratively All these sorts are manifest in sundry Prophecies here I touch one for all 2. Sam. 7.12 When thy dayes be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy Fathers saith the Lord unto David I will set up thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy bowells and I will establish his Kingdome This was true in the person of Solomon and of Christ too properly v. 13. He shall build an house for my name This was true of Solomon in the proper acceptation of the word house and figuratively of Christ who said Matth. 16.18 Upon this rock will I build my Church It followes I will establish the throne of his Kingdome for ever This was not true of Solomon in respect of his person for he died neither of his posteritie from whom Jacob had foretold that the Scepter should depart at the coming of Shiloh Gen. 49.10 but of Christ it is true for his Throne is established for ever and ever Heb. 1.8 v. 14. I will be his Father and he shall be my son This is true of Solomon in respect of adoption and of Christ in respect of eternall generation Fiftly it is said there If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of man but my mercy shall not depart from him as I tooke it from Saul This is true of Solomon and not of Christ who was free of sinne unlesse we understand his members or their sinnes imputed unto him v. 16. Thy house and thy Kingdome shall be established for ever before thee thy Throne shall be established for ever This cannot be understood of David or Solomons house or Kingdome as experience proves now for the space of 1600. years and more but of Christs house and Kingdome which shall never faile By this one passage it is manifest First how miserable ignorance it is to expone all the Prophecies after one and the same manner or in a proper sense onely Secondly that the Evangelists and Apostles exponing these Prophecies in a spirituall and figurative sense doe not wrest them even albeit these have been fulfilled some way before but according to the intendment of the Spirit they bring them unto Christ who is the end of the Law and scope of the Prophets Answer The Prophecies which we have alledged for the Jewes deliverance and our Saviours reigne on earth are all plaine prophecies and therefore your distinguishing of the prophecies into plaine and typicall prophecies is very unseasonably that I say not craftily applyed against us However in the first place the Reader may observe that we have as much reason to beleeve that the Prophecies which speak plainly of the Jewes cannot be understood of any others as we have to beleeve that the Prophecies which speake plainly of Christ cannot be understood of another and consequently that you doe very erroneously interpret these Prophecies when you understand by them the conversion of the Gentiles And secondly he may observe that having cited 2 Sam. v. 12. When thy dayes be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy Fathers I will set up thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy bowles and I will establish his kingdome You say This was true in the person of Solomon and of Christ too properly Which is as much as we say to wit that God shall establish unto Christ a civill and proper Kingdome as he did unto Solomon And indeed it is beyond the force of these words in the 16. verse Thy house and thy Kingdome shall be established for ever before thee thy throne shall be established for ever To prove that Christs reigne and Solomons that the type and thing typified are not both to be understood properly and in the same manner seeing the word for ever is not here to be taken in an unlimited sense for an infinite time but in a limited sense for a long time as we shew in our reply by many instances out of scripture and so doth intimate unto us onely that Christs Kingdome aâ— it is to be the longest that ever was on earth so it is to be the last too it is not to be left to other people as Daniel saith chap. 2. ver 44. but is by Christ himselfe to be delivered up to God even the Father at the last resurrection And that not onely Solomons reigne but his building of an house to the Lord too is to be properly fulfilled in Christ the Prophet Zechariah chapter 6. ver 13. doth plainely reveale Behold saith he the man whose name is the Branch and he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the Temple of the Lord even he shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall beare the glory and shall sit and rule upon his Throne and the counsell of peace shall be between them both In which words the Temple of the Lord doth signifie the Temple at Jerusalem as the verses following doe shew and there is no other signification of this phrase in all the old Testament as we have observed in our reply to your answer where you expound our Saviours building of the Temple of the Lord of the raising of his body from the grave and yet here you make it to foreshew the immoveable perseverance of those that were after his incarnation to be called to the profession of his name by a lively faith So unstedfast are you and unresolved in what sense to take his building of an house unto the Lord. And therefore although such typicall prophesies as are compound oracles were to have a
on earth is neither Christian nor Jewish seeing Christians beleeve not such a comming nor doe the Jewes beleeve in Christ and therefore it is abhorred of all Christians and Jewes So farre are they bâ—â—h from embracing it Reply Sir looke backe into your Preface and there you tell us that this spirit was abroad in the world in the Apostles days which had indeed been otherwise but a lying spirit and that it continued in the Church neere about 300. yeares after Christ Yea you say plainly by this historical â—aâ—ationâ— beloâ—ed in the Lord you may see that this doctrine is no new light revealed in this last age The more strange it is therefore in the very enterance of the controversie to heare you cry out so boldly against your owne confession What new Spirit is this certainly that cannot be new which was both taught and beleev'd on so long agoe Neither can we easily thinke it to be false seeing it was the faith not onely 〈…〉 of all that were then accounted right beleeving Christians 〈…〉 of the Dialogue between Tripho the Jew and Justine Maâ—tyr the Christian commented on by Mr. Mede doth averre Which being set forth together with his commentaries on â—he Apâ—calyâ—â— you were not doubtlesse ignorant of it And yea you demand againe whether be such persons Jewes or Christians to which you subjoyne They oppose themselves unto all Jewes and Christians as if you would have your reader therefore conceive them to be nor Jewes nor Christians because they oppose both in some few particulars But your argument is too weak for who knows not that Christians are opposed by Christians and Jewes by Jewes and that as a Jew may oppose both Jewes and Christians and yet not cease to be a Jew so likewise a Christian may oppose both Jewes and Christians and yet be still a Christian True then it is that we oppose all that are Jewes by profession in confessing with all other Christians that Christ is come in the flesh and hereby sure we shew ourselves Christians And true likewise it is that we oppose all other Christians in confessing with these Jewes that Christ shall come as a King to reigne on earth and yet we doe not hereby shew our selves Jewes but the truer Christians because according to plaine and expresse Scripture we acknowledge embrace for truth in both what both doe unjustly condemne and reject as a manifest error in each other And should we doe otherwise we should obey men rather then God and whether we should doe well in that judge you Having cast us out of the Church of the Christians and Synagogue of the Jewes I meane having endeavored to bring us into contempt with both in telling them that we oppose them both Your next Querie is Whether doe they understand the differences twixt Jewes and Christians No doubt Sir but all of them have understanding as well as you and that some of them are not inferiour unto you how meane soever you esteeme them but yet there is no need that we rehearse here any more differences then that which you have already heard and doe now labour all you can to make the reader beleeve to be none at all For it was never yet heard you say that the Jewes doe beleeve that Christ Jesus shall come as a King And have you heard so from us we say indeed that the Jewes beleeve that Christ shall come as a King which no writer either Jewish or Christian hath hitherto denied but we say not that they beleeve that Christ Jesus shall come as a King For then they should beleeve Jesus to be the Christ as well as we which as yet they doe not and by this we may see that if you had not quite altered our meaning by adding the word Jesus and so confounded and obscur'd what wee have clearly and distinctly delivered you could have said nothing to what we say For you would have been asham'd I suppose to have uttered your assertion thus It was never yet heard that the Jewes doe beleeve that Christ shall come as a King which yet is all that we affirme But having thus made your selfe worke you goe on and tell us They said Away with him we will not have him to reigne over us True but this shews onely that the Jewes then denied Jesus to be the Christ that the Jewes now continuing in the same blindnes are guilty of the same transgression but it shewes not that either the ancient Jewes did not or that the modern doe not beleeve that Christ shall come as a King You goe on They say that the Messias shall come but they speake not of his comming twice or thrice looke all the Iewish Rabbies and aske them who are alive they will say but once Let them that deny it take this paines but what though they say the Messias is to come but once what will follow from hence surely this will follow that as long as they continue to beleeve so they cannot beleeve that Jesus shall come as a King because they know that he is already come But it wil not follow from hence that they doe not now beleeve that their Messias shall come as a King And thus notwithstanding your Magisteriall Querie your foisted assertion and ought else that you have said it is very evident that the conceit of Christ's comming to reigne is both Christian and Jewish Christian because Christians beleeve it as plainly reveal'd in Gods word although you account it no part of a Christians beliefe and Jewish because the Jewes beleeve that Christ shall so come although they beleeve not that he is already come And therefore it is neither abhorred of all Christians nor of any Jewes so far are they both from rejecting it Yea so well doe they agree in the truth of this particular That Christ shall come as a King although as yet they disagree about his person and consequently in all that the Gospel reveales to be already done by him Israel's Redemption 2. And yet wltih submission to impartial judgements be it spoken I finde not in the Scriptures more voices for the one then for the other and therefore doe verily beleeve that neither Tenet apart but both together doe make up the full and e Rom. 8.23 ch 11. v. 12.15 Eph. 1. v. 14. ch 4. v. 30. Rev. 10. v. 7. compleat mystery of our Redemption which by Gods gracious assistance I shall to his owne glory and our christian comfort clearely prove in the examination of the words now read unto you Mr Petrie's Answer 1. Who are these impartiall judgements on the one side are Christians and on the other are Jewes it may be he submitts unto Turks but the Turks beleeve that Christ is come and will not say that he will come againe These impartiall judgâ—â—ents then must be Heathens 2. If the Millenaries find not more voices for the one then for the other it is no marvâ—l any who hath the jaundies finds every thing
And Piscator resolves the matter thus peremptorily against you Praeter-naturales istae trium horarum tenebrae quae totam terram occuparunt patiente Christo portenderunt haud dubie calamitates illâ—s quas non multò post Deus iratus huic populo immisit quas et Christus suprà cap. 24. discipulis praediâ—it Sunt enim Tenebrae signum irae Dei ut perspicitur ex eo quòd signum erunt adventantis Christi ad judicium ut ipse testatur suprà cap. 24.29 Et passìm in Scriptura nomine Tenebrarum calamitates significantur c. in cap. 27. verse 45. Mat. In which words he doth not onely say that this darknesse was a token of those miseries which shortly after befell the Jewes but also that the word darknesse in the Scripture whether properly or improperly taken doth every where signify calamities And in your next instance out of the 21 chap. of Luke ver 25. you your selfe doe say that the signes there rehearst are all properly to be understood as signes before the great and terrible Day of the Lord. But amongst the rest you reckon the distresse of Nations with perplexity for a signe whereas it is rather an effect of the signes which shall be so extraordinary that they shall bring men into great perplexity and feare of the things which they shall shew to be comming on the earth But whereas you say that what is promised in the 28. and 29 ver of the 2. chap. of Joel was truely albeit not altogether fulfilled in the dayes of Peter even howbeit the words of the 30. and 31. ver be properly understood and not wholly fulfilled till the time immediately preceding the last comming of Christ It is utterly false as hath been already shewed and may further thus be shewed To wit because the powring out of the Spirit spoken of by Joel is to precede or at least to accompany the darkning of the Sun and Moone and both to precede the great and terrible Day of the Lord whereas the darkning of the Sun at our Saviour's first comming did precede the powring out of the Spirit and neither of them did precede the day of his birth For the Sun was darkened when he was about to leave both his life and the world together And the Spirit was not powred out til after his ascension And thus besides that there was not then any unusuall darkening of the Moone the very different order of the accomplishment of these things from that mentioned by Joel and their not preceding our Saviour's first comming as signes thereof doe abundantly shew the grosnesse of your interpretation Israel's Redemption Neither have I forgotten that the first of these prophecies was made use of by S. Peter to stop the mouthes of such as jeer'd the Apostles when by the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them they began to speake with tongues Act. 2.4 but that this prophecy was then fulfilled I deny For when some mocking said These men are full of new wine S. Peter replyd ' ye men of Iudea and all ye that dwell at Hierusalem be this knowne unto you and hearken to my words for these are not drunken as ye suppose seeing it is but the third houre of the day but this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Ioel. And it shall come to passe in the last dayes saith God I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh As if he had said My brethren these are not the effects of wine but of the Spirit of God which is now powred out on the first fruits of the Jews as a pledge and assurance of that bountifull effusion of it which as Joel hath said shall one day happen to the u Isa 32.15 Ezek. 39.29 Zech. 12.10 whole Nation And that this is all St Peter meant it may thus appeare First because the chiefe and most remarkeable effect of the Spirit in the Apostles at this time was the gift of tongues of which the Prophet makes no mention Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. If this exception were true it would prove that the Apostle citeth the words impertinently and the Jews might have challenged him of babling and so these authors fight against the Apostle and the Spirit of God who hath registred this argumentation of the Apostle as good and valid 2. The chiefe and most remarkeable worke of the Spirit at that time was a sound from Heaven as of a mighty rushing winde which filled all the house and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and this was noised abroad Whereby it is evident that the Apostle speakes especially not onely of the effect which is their speaking in strange languages but of the cause the powring downe of the Spirit of which Joel speakes expressely and therefore Peter citeth the words pertinently Reply 1. That the Prophet speakes not of any whom the Spirit should endue with the gift of tongues is so evident that you could not deny it and yet you dare say If this exception were true it would prove that the Apostle citeth the words impertinently Belike then the Apostle must be out in citing them rather then you in shewing to what end he cited them No Sir the Apostle alledgeth it very pretinently in that he shewes by it that the disciples spake not thus out of drunkennesse as some accused them and consequently from an evil spirit but by reason of the effusion of that Spirit on them of which Joel had spoken And therefore the mistake is in you who doe very impertinently conclude from hence that the same effusion of the Spirit which Joel spake of was then fulfilled For although the same Spirit may be powred out divers times yet that powring out of it which Joel speakes of can be fulfilled but once consequently not at our Saviour's first comming and second comming too And now who fights most against the Apostle the Spirit of God he that understands them rightly and endeavours to make others do so too or he that misunderstanding them himselfe had rather condemne them both and draw all others into an error with him then yeeld to the truth and here I would intreat thee reader to take notice that when Mr Petrie hath little or nothing to say he commonly breaks out into the more violent speech thereby to disgrace what he cannot answer 2. This part of your answer is as much to the matter as the former For whereas I speake of the gift of tongues as the most remarkeable effect of the Spirit in the Apostles you speake of the manner of the Spirits descending upon them as the most remarkeable worke of the Spirit But doe you know what you say was it not a greater worke to make the Apostles speake divers languages then to cause the sound of a mighty winde or the appearance of tongues which were onely outward signes of the extraordinary gift which the Spirit
then wrought within them I can hardly thinke that any man but you will say otherwise And by your leave it was the Apostles speaking with other tongues which made the Multitude come together and at which they were confounded as the 4 5 6 7. ver c. doe shew And not the sound of the rushing winde that filled the house where the Apostles were sitting when the appearance of cloven tongues like as of fire came and sate upon each of them For this was past and St Peter speakes not of it but shewes onely that their speaking thus in divers languages was the worke of the same Spirit of which Joel had spoken And your conclusion therefore Peter citeth the words pertinently which I dare say none is so likely to doubt of as your selfe hangs as loosely to your premises as the premises doe to that which I have said Israel's Redemption And secondly because as the Prophet revealed so he repeates the powring out of the Spirit as a contemporary event with the wonders which shall be shewne in the Heavens and in the earth before the great and terrible Day of the Lord come Which Day can no way be referred to the first comming of Christ when he came to save x Luk. 19.56 ch 19.10 Ioh. 12.97 sinners and not to destroy them When he would not take upon him to be a y Luk. 12.14 Ioh. 6.15 Judge and Ruler over them For then too the donation of the Spirit must have been an antecedent of his birth of the time he lived and not a subsequent of his death and departure which hath no analogy with a day It remaines then that it is an expression of his second comming which is called a great and terrible Daâ— in regard of the generall destruction which shall be brought on all Nations that oppose themselves against the Jews at that time For in mount Zion and in Hierusalem as you have heard shall be deliverance and in the Remnant whom the Lord shall call Mr Petrie's Answer 1. Joel saith not that the powring out of the Spirit shall not be til the great and terrible day of the Lord come but he shewes so many things preceding the comming of our Saviour neither may we thinke that all these things shall be fulfilled in the same juncture of time if all be accomplished even in severall times the prophecy abides true 2. That day or time was terrible for it is written Act. 2.6 the multitude came together and were confounded or troubled in minde because that every man heard them in his owne language and they were all amazed and marvelled verse 22. a man approved among you by miracles wonders and figues Whereby it is manifest that even to the sight of these Jews that time of Christ's comming was terrible albeit his second comming shall be more terrible in regard of the generall destruction which shall â—e on all Nations not for opposing themselves against the Jews as they imagine but for their not acknowledging God and not obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess 1.8 Reply 1. Now you tell us that Joel saith not that the powring of the Spirit shall not be til the great and terrible Day of the Lord come Neither have we said he doth for had he said so the Spirit could not at that time have been powred on the Apostles But yet Joel saith that that particular powring out of the Spirit of which he speaks is to be a signe of the neere approach of that terrible Day and therefore cannot til that time be accomplisht Although then we thinke not that all the things which Joel speake of are to be fulfilled in the same juncture or moment of time yet we thinke that they shall be all accomplisht in a very short time But to say that one of these things shall be accomplisht in one age and another in the next or some hundreds of yeares after and so of the rest is to make the word of God of none effect For Joel speakes of these things as immediately to ensue if not to contemporate with each other and speake but of one powring out of the Spirit and that also to be a forerunner of the Day of Christ's second comming and therefore it can be but once fulfilled and that onely in its proper season 2. But you will make good all that you have said by and by For the Day of our Saviour's first comming was terrible you say And that because it is written Act. 2.6 The multitude came together and were confounded because every man heard them speake in his owne language and they were all amazed and marvelled and verse 22. a man approved amongst you by miracles wonders and signes And did this make him terrible what then could make him comfortable If to save sinners to cast out Devils to raise the dead to open the eyes of the blinde the eares of the deafe to loose the tongues of the dumbe the feet of the lame to heale the lunaticke and them that had palsies in a word to cure all diseases did terrify the Jews what could he doe to make his presence delightfull unto them O what a terrible message the Angel came with when he said Behold I bring you tydings of great joy which shall be to all people Luk. 2.10.11 for unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord O what a terrible noise was made when a multitude of heavenly Spirits praised God saying Glory to God in the Highest on earth peace good will towards men O what terrible doings there were ver 13 14. when Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom Mat. 4.23 and healing all manner of sicknes and all manner of diseases among the people O what a terrible sight it was when so many thousands of hungry soules were sed with five loaves and two fishes These were wonders indeed but all things that are wonderfull ch 14.23 are not terrible but such onely as are either punishments or signes of punishments otherwise though they cause amazement at the first as surpassing the reach of naturall causes yet being intended for man's good they occasion gladnesse and not feare unlesse it be a pious feare which well consists with joy in the Holy Ghost For shame then recall this doctrine and thinke not to make any one beleeve that the sicke person will be afraid to heare of his health or the condemned prisoner of his pardon and til you can doe this perswade not your selfe that you can prove our Saviour's presence terrible in the Day of his humiliation wherein he was approved for so many signes miracles and wonders wrought onely to make men lay hold on the meanes of their eternall happines And if the history of these things be so wonderfully pleasant unto us what was the performance to such as saw them and the benefit of the miracles to such
as felt the vertue of them You goe on and say that the time of Christ's second comming shall be more terrible then his first was And surely the great destroyers of the earth should else have greatest cause to climbe up to the tops of the mountaines to meet him first if such a thing might be as rayling Shimei was the first of al the house of Benjamin that met King David in his returne after Absoloms conspiracy and no need at all to call for the mountains to hide them from his presence But you will not have that day accounted terrible in regard of a generall destruction to be brought on the Nations for opposing the Jews but for their not acknowledging God and not obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as it is in the 2 Thess 1.8 and had you confirmed this by shewing that the Nations should not at that time oppose the Jews you had said the whole truth but seeing you have not and indeed could not doe this for the prophecies following doe shew the contrary you have affirm'd one halfe of the truth to exclude the other halfe of it And therefore you must give us leave not onely to imagine but to beleeve that the foresaid destruction shall be for both that those I say which shall then oppose the Jews shall be the very same which the Apostle here speakes of under another notion and in other termes For though Christians may not you faith we know shall then be very scarse amongst the Gentiles as our Saviour hath said of them Luk. 18. verse 8. Israel's Redemption And to put it out of doubt that God's bringing downe of the Heathen into the valley of Jehosaphat is meant onely of his gathering them together to a battell and consequently of a judgement on the living and on the dead to put this out of doubt I say the Prophet makes it to be a concomitant of the z Rev 16.12.13.14 Jews returne from their captivity and in the 9 10 11 and 12. ver provokes the Gentiles to prepare warre to assemble their mighty men and to breake their plowshares into swords and their pruning-hookes into speares a preparation which as it would be fruitlesse so doubtlesse they shall neither have time power or will to make when they are summoned to receive the dreadfull Sentence of Goe ye cursed And for my owne part I am perswaded that this great Army here spoken of is the very same that shall be gathered together to the battell of that great Day of God Almighty by the three uncleane spirits like frogs which St John saw come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet Rev. 16. at the 13. ver Of this a Psal 2.1.2 3 Ps 46.6.8 Psal 68.30 Isa 2.12.13 c. ch 24.21.22 ch 26 20.21 ch 34.1.2.3.4.5 c. ch 40.20 ch 66.14.15.16 Mic. 4.12.13 destruction also speakes Zeph. in his 3 chap. at the 8. ver Therefore waite upon me saith the Lord untill the day that I rise up to the prey for my determination is to gather the Nations that I may assemble the Kingdoms to powre upon them mine indignation even all my fierce anger for all the earth shall be devour'd with the fire of my jealousie for then will I turne to the people meaning to the Jews a pure language that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord. And at the 19. ver Behold at that time I will undâ—e all that afflict thee and I will save her that halteth and gather her that was driven out and I will get them praise and fume in every land where they have been put to shamâ— At that time I will bring you againe even in the time that I gather you for I will make you a Name and a praise among all people of the earth when I turne backe your captivity before your eyes saith the Lord. And yet more fully Zech. in his 12 chap. at the 3. verse In that Day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it In that day will I smite every horse with astonishment and his rider with mâ—dnes and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah and will smite every horse of the people with blindnesse In that day will I make the Governours of Judah like a hearth b Obad. 15.16.17.18.19.20.21 of fire among the wood and like a torch of fire in a sheafe and they shall devoure all the people round about on the right hand and on the left and Jerusalem shall be inhabited againe in her owne place even in Jerusalem The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem doe not magnifte themselves against Judah In that Day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that Day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them And in the 14. chap. at the 12. ver This shall be the plague wherewith the Lord shall smite the people that have fought against Jerusalem their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet and their eyes shall consume away in their holes and their tongues shall consume away in their mouth and it shall come to passe in that day that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his c Ezek. 38.21 Hag. 2.23 neighbour and Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem and the d Mich. 4.13 wealth of all the Heathen round about shall be gathered together gold and silver and apparel in great abundance and so shall be the plague of the horse of the mule of the camel and of the asse and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents as this plague And in the 38. and 39. chap. of Ezek. the same Army is foretold under the names of Gog and Magog Mr Petrie's Answer 1. That these words are not meaned of the temporall Monarchy after Christ's comming it may be learned by the paralleld text where it is said And for my owne part I am perswaded that this great Army here spoken of is the very same that shall be gathered together to the battle of the great Day of God Almighty by the three uncleane spirits like frogs which St. Iohn saw come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the false Prophet Rev. 16.13 If he be perswaded that this is the same battle he might likewise be perswaded that the text of Joel 3. is not after the comming of Christ nor immediately at his comming for that
battle is in the time of the sixt vial after which follows another vial and time of trouble mentioned in the rest of that chap. of the Revel 2. We may be perswaded that the gathering of the Nations Joel 3.2 is not to be understood of a battle after the comming or at the comming of Christ if we consider the words of the first verse for behold in these dayes and in that time c. Heknitteth this chap. with the preceding and shewes the contents of both to be at the same time which is not any particular yeare or age but comprehends the whole deliverance of Israel or people of God which was begun when the captive Jews were brought from Babylon and continues til Christ's second comming as if the Prophet had said When the Lord shall deliver his people it shall not be a short and moment any deliverance but this protection shall continue til he have avenged him of all the enemies of his Church As for the Name of the valley of Jehoshaphat there is no necessity to understand thereby the valley of blessing 2 Chro. 20.26 seeing that valley never hath this name in the Scripture neither is it possible that all the Nations of the world can conveen in that place but the name may rather be taken appellatively for the valley of God's judgement as the Hebrew word imports and the words following allude thereunto whereby the Prophet teacheth us to consider the etymologie of the Name and neverthelesse he would have us to consider the gracious deliverance of Jehoshaphat that he will as certainly deliver his people in all ages as he did Jehoshaphat And this is a more glorious trophee then if any one Nation were kept a thousand yeares in worldly prosperity Reply 1. My words doe shew that this prophecy of Joel cannot be meant of the time of Christ's Judging the dead when they shall be all called out of their graves as it is commonly expounded and that because it speakes of the gathering together of a great Army against the Jews but not after Christ's comming which opinion you falsely attribute to me although against his comming as the parallel prophecy Rev. 16. at the 12 13 14. ver doth shew for that Army is to be gathered into Armageddon in the time of the sixth vial and to be destroy'd at the powring out of the seventh vial by our Saviour and his Heavenly Host as the 15. ver of the same chap. and the latter part of the 19. chap. of the Rev. from ver the 11. c. doe plainly declare 2. That which you here begin with was the ground of the former part of your answer but on what ground I know not for I deny that this prophecy doth speake of a battle after Christ's comming albeit I doe affirme that our Saviour's comming shall be when this great Army is gathered together against the Jews as ready to destroy them And your shewing the coherence of this chapter with the precedent doth make more against you then you are aware of for it is remarkeable that you rightly conclude from hence that the Prophet shewes the contents which I have urged out of both being in the Hebrew all in one chapter to be at the same time And yet you say presently after that this same time is not any particular yeare or age but comprehends all the time from the Jews returne from Babylon to the second comming of Christ which is as if you had said This particular time is not a particular time but many particular times yea thousands of particular times This same time is not the same time but more then the same time yea as much more then the same time as is from the Jews returne from Babylon to this same time For the text in the originall points emphatically to one particular time as the seperate pronounes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjoyn'd to their substantives with the praefix 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe shew So that it is as if the Prophet had said In those selfe same dayes and in that very time in which I shall bring againe the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem I will also gather all Nations c. And besides how I pray can the signes that are to be shewed more often then any man knows or in any part of so large a time as you speake of all which your exposition grants foreshew the neernesse of the terrible Day of the Lord which yet is the onely end of the wonders that Joel saith shall be shewed in the Heavens and in the earth at that time For our Saviour Mat. 24. Luk. 21. speaks of the same darkening of the Sun and Moone that the Prophet doth and if his word may be taken these signes shall as infallibly shew the neere approach of his second comming as the shooting forth of the leaves of the figgtree doth shew that the summer is nigh at hand And thus the emphasi◠of the Hebrew text and our Saviour's intimation of the true extent of the time betwixt these signes and his appearing the accomplishment of which signes you confesse to be at the time of the deliverance which the Prophet foretels doth both discover how notoriously false your exposition of the same time is And therefore the sense which you by this means would thrust upon the prophet must needs be your owne likewise and not the Prophet's For the Prophet speakes here but of one Army and the parallel prophecy Rev. 16. speakes but of one Army and Ezek. who foreshewes the same battle speakes but of one Army and they all say that the Iews onely are to be opposed by this Army and that a sudden destruction shall come on this Army and consequently the deliverance here spoken of is to be short and sudden and the people to be delivered by it are the Jews And so here is nothing at all touching God's special protection of his Church in all ages or of many deliverances but here is an extraordinary Judgement foreshewing the dreadfull overthrow and downefall of all the enemies of the Jews and the then faithfull Christians And as concerning the place where this Army is to be gathered together this is chiefely to be taken notice of that the prophecy speaking but of one Army it can be meant but of one place and that to be in the land of Judea whither the Nations shall come up against the Jews shortly upon their returne as the valley of Jehoshaphat here doth intimate and Ezek. doth plainly declare Neither is the doubt you bring about the possibility of so many Nations meeting together in one place of any consequence For it is not usuall for a people wholly to leave their owne countrey when they invade their enemies land for that were the ready way to lose their owne land and to starve themselves but to send forth such a strength as they may well raise and maintaine and the Prophet here calls for their men of war and
to prove And that you may not thinke you have any interest in it by reason of this prophecy you must know that the gathering together of the wealth spoken of in Zech. is against the time when the Lord shall descend and all the Saints with him Which being at the time of the victory there foretold shewes your application of this prophecy to the spirituall and corporal victories of the faithfull Gentiles to be a meere wresting of the Scriptures Israel's Redemption And if this be not to cry Peace peace when there is no peace If this be not to call evil good and good evil to put darkenesse for light and light for darkenesse bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter What is Mr Petrie's Answer This is a pitifull exclamation if it were true but exclamations are not alwaies victorious When we teach it shall be well unto the children of God and there is no peace unto the wicked and set your hearts on things above and not on things on earth is this to cry peace when there is no peace or to call good evil or is it not rather to put darkenes for light when spirituall promises are restrained to a temporal prosperity of a carnal people and when God teacheth faith by sense that because we cannot understand heavenly things til he insinuate them into our affections by pleasing and knowne things should we thinke that God hath no higher sense in these promises All the earth belongeth unto Christ and in the midst of Scythia some have liv'd happily even more happily then many have done in Judea The promises then are not tied to Judea but belong unto all them who are mentioned Joh. 11.51 he prophecied that Jesus should die for that Nation and not for that Nation onely but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad that is through the world as the same Apostle expones himselfe 1 Joh. 2.2 But it may be that this exclamation was made against the conjecture of Cornelius à Lapide then he should distinguish the persons Reply Having spent your store and your stomack so vainly that any one may perceive your wilfull mistake you are forc't in the close to shift it off with this pitifull excuse but it may be that this exclamation was made against the conjecture of Cornelius à Lapide then he should distinguish the persons How it may be and he should distinguish the persons Surely there is no other Commentatour spoken of and almost a whole page is spent to shew that he is out in his exposition of the Prophecies of Zech. which I have rehearst and so contrary to the true meaning of the Prophecie which I have alledg'd out of Zeph. that he interprets the pouring out of Gods fierce anger on the Nations of his great mercy in sending the Gospel to be preach't unto them upon which groundlesse exposition I have inferr'd the words you are so much offended with And it may be you had more reason to be so then you will be knowne of however in stead of confirming that exposition which perhaps you may too much favour you take occasion to tell us how conscionably you dispence the word of God And may we believe you what made you then so scornfully to call that remnant of the Jewes whose temporall prosperity the Prophets have so frequently foretold a carnall people when as God himselfe saith of them I will bring it health and cure and I will cure them and I will reveale unto them abundance of peace and truth and againe I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from me and the remnant of Israel shall not doe iniquity nor speake lies c. Yea the regeneration of their persons is almost as often foretold as the restauration of their Land their deliverance from captivity or their Lord-ship over other Nations And when you call them carnall whom God so oft calls spirituall yea spirituall in a farre greater measure then we Gentiles are doe you not put evill for good darknesse for light and bitter for sweet And to what purpose doe you tell us that some have liv'd more happily in the midst of Scythia then many have done in Judea Doth this prove that these Prophecies shall not be historically fulfill'd or that when they are fulfill'd the Jewes shall not live so happily in Judea as the Nations shall in other Countries And it is to as much purpose that you tell us out of the 11. ch of John at the 31. ver that Caiaphas prophecied that Christ should die for the Jewes and not for them onely but that he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad through the world for doth any one deny this or doth this prove that the Prophecies touching the Jewes are not to be understood of the Jewes doubtlesse it doth rather prove that they can be no otherwise understood seeing the Jewes cannot be made partakers of the benefits of Christs death till they be call'd out of the darknesse of unbeliefe in which they have liv'd so many hundred yeares into the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ by the effectuall working of Gods Spirit in them as the Prophets have said Israel's Redemption But enough of the perplexity which shall happen to other Nations when the Jewes returne Now againe of their returne and of the prosperity which shall then happen to themselves And it shall come to passe in that day saith Isa chap. 11. ver 11. c. that the Lord shall set his hand againe the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assyria and from Egypt and from Paphros and from Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the Islands of the Sea and he shall set up an Ensigne for the Nations and shall assemble the out-casts of Israel and f Isa 49. ver 12.25 ch 30. uer 18 19. chap. 62. ver 10 11 12. Ezek. 20. ver 32 33 34. c. gather together the dispersed of Judah from the foure corners of the Earth the envy of Ephraim shall depart and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vexe Ephraim and the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian Sea and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river and shall smite it in the seven streames and make men goe over dry-shod and there shall be an high-way for the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assyria g Mic. 7. ver 15. c. like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt You see here that the Prophet speakes plainly of a miraculous recovery of Gods people of the recovery I say of Judah not from Babylon but from the foure h Jer. 16. ver 14 15. chap. 23. ver 7 8. corners of the
out of Egypt Reply 1. In this first part of your answer you say that whereas there had been contentions twixt the Tribes one against another and both against the Gentiles and the Gentiles against them both under Christ shall be an end of that malice All which is very true and here the Reader may see you at once confesse all that we affirme for you take Ephraim and Judah properly and affirme that they are againe to be united under Christ and not onely one with another but with the Gentiles too all malice being laid aside And is not this to say with us that it is not yet fulfill'd for can you prove that the twelve Tribes are already converted and united or that all malice is at an end twixt Jewes and Gentiles certainly you cannot and what need we then any further witnesse for habemus confitentene reum your owne mouth hath condemened you and quitted us 2. This part of your answer hath no relation to the objection but is a quarrell against us for omitting the 14. ver in the citation of this Prophecie which we did you say because we saw that it could not be verified of the peaceable Kingdome which wee imagine But this Kingdome is plainly held out unto all in the word of God and is not the fruit of our imagination which is nothing worth but as it is enlightned from hence And though the 14. ver will not consist with the peace of this Kingdome yet it will very well consist with the returne of the Iewes before this Kingdome who in their passage to their Land may have many particular victories over their Enemies as well in this returne as in that out of Egypt onely and this is all that the 14. ver doth shew with which the verses preceding and following speaking onely of their returne and alledgd to shew their returne doe better agree then with the Apostles preaching of the Gospel to severall Nations whereof there is not a word spoken in this verse nor in any other that I have alledg'd and seeing you have interpreted Judah and Ephraim in the 13. ver of the Iewes in opposition to the Gentiles how could you expound the 14. verse there the same persons are meant of the Apostles or understand by their spoyling them of the East the preaching of the Gospel 3. That the tongue of the Egyptian sea shall be utterly destroyed and the river give a passage to the Iewes as Iordan did in time past is the expresse word of God in this chapter and is the hand of the Lord shortned thinke you that he cannot doe such Miracles now as he did heretofore or is his mind changed that he will not doe what he hath said or hath he forgotten what he spake by the Prophets so long agoe I know you dare not affirme ought of this and yet surely some such impious thought doth seeme to be the best ground that you have for the strange metamorphosis that you make of this Prophecie by your mysticall application of it For what kind of Miracle say you shall that be shall the Jewes who are scattered into all corners of the Earth have a dry passage through every river and the Egyptian 〈◊〉 Red-sea be dryed up But you forget your selfe for the text saith River not Rivers and the the River is in the Scripture by way of excellency put for Euphrates and yet admit it were in the Text as you say it were but the reiteration of the same Miracle and cannot God as well make all rivers yield them a drie passage as any one river hath he power to doe it once and hath he not power to doe it againe yea as oft as he pleaseth or can he not doe greater Miracles then any here foretold or then any that he hath hitherto done Why then should your Faith straine thus at a gnat at the drying up of a river or the destroying of the tongue of the Egyptian Sea when as it can so easily swallow a Camel in destroying the plaine history of Gods word by incredible allegories and incongruous interpretations Israel's Redemption Such another Prophecie is that of Ezek. in his 37. chap. at the 19. ver Thus saith the Lord God I will take the stick of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the Tribes of Israel his fellowes and will put them with him even with the stick of Judah and make them one stick in my hand and at the 21. ver Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the Heathen whither they be gone and will gather them on every side and will bring them into their owne Land and I will make them one Nation in the Land upon the Mountaines of Israel and one King shall be King to them all and they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they be divided into two Kingdomes any more at all neither shall they defile themselves any more with their Idols nor with their detestable things nor with any of their transgressions but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned and will cleanse them for they shall be my people and I will be their God And in Hosea 1. ver 10. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured nor numbred and it shall come to passe that in the place where it was said unto them Ye are not my people there it shall be said Ye k Ier 24. v. 6 7. c. 32. ver 37.38 Zech 13. ver 9. are the Sons of the living God Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one Head and they shall come up out of the land for great shall be the Day of Jezreel In both which Prophecies the Lord hath promised that the Jews shall againe live under one King onely as they had done before the division of the Tribes and that in their owne land too which hath not been yet performed and therefore the time of these Prophecies is yet to come Mr Petrie's Answer 1. The like Prophecy is likewise exponed but for further clearing of these I add That of Ezek. 37. is exponed by Christ Joh. 10.14.16 I am the good Shepherd and know my sheepe and other sheepe I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd Where you see that Christ is the Shepherd and by consequence the King too unlesse they will understand the 24. ver of Ezek. 37. of two different persons and the people over whom he reigneth are his sheepe not onely of the Jews but of another fold whom Christ bringeth into the same fold that is into the same Church 2. The same words speaking of Christ and calling him David and King and Shepherd shew that they must he spiritually understood 3. The 25. ver may be more easily understood in
Lord their God and n Isa 9. v. 6 7. David their King and shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes Which Prophecie cannot possibly be as yet fulfill'd for if it be meant onely of the ten Tribes amongst whom Hoseâ— prophecied it is o Hier. Zanch. Pareus Rivetus Lyra Dr. Mayer confest that they did never yet returne and if of the other two it must be meant of their captivitie since our Saviour's comming for till then the Scepter could not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet as Jacob foretold Gen. the 49. at the 10. verse and therefore till then they could not be without a Prince or Governours of that Tribe although they were long before tributaries to other Nations And this also is intimated by those words the latter dayes which are no where put for the time before the incarnation of Christ Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. This argumentation faileth in both parts but first marke that all these words cannot be meant properly for the word David cannot be understood of Salomons Father but of Christ the sonne of David or typified by David and therefore that Prophecie could not be fulfilled till the incarnation of Christ and then it might be fulfill'd 2. And consequently these words the latter dayes though they be no where put for the dayes before the incarnation yet they are often put for the dayes of the Gospel seeing in the last dayes God hath spoken unto us by his Sonne Now the first part of the dilemma is false for if that Prophecie be meant of the ten Tribes as they abode many dayes without a King c. so who dare deny that they did returne and seeke the Lord their God and Christ their King when the Gospel was preached to the scattered strangers not onely through Pontus Galatia Cappadocia 1 Pet. 1.1 but likewise to Syria Assyria c. and expressely to the twelve Tribes scattered abroad Jam. 1.1 who can hold the negative that the children of Israel did never returne and seeke Christ and the other part is no lesse faulty for Christ came not till the Scepter was departed from Judah and these words the latter dayes are not to be referred unto the 4. verse as if the Israelites should abide many dayes without a King and sacrifice in the latter dayes and then returne but unto the fift ver in the end whereof they are and so in the latter dayes they shall returne not into their Land this Text saith not so but and seek the Lord their God and Christ their King as they did Act. 2.4.1 and 4.4 and in severall ages And so both the parts of this Argument being false the words of Hosea 3. are more against the temporall Monarchy then for it Reply 1. That by David here Christ is meant is not to be doubted but that therefore this Prophecie was fulfill'd at Christs incarnation it is to be proved and so it is too that the Rhetoricall and tropicall sense of some words and phrases in a Prophecie doth fasten a mysticall meaning upon it for the sense of a Prophecie takes not its denomination from the words in which it is spoken but from the things it speakes of if it speakes of materiall things whether in a proper or figurative straine it is a materiall Prophecie if of spirituall things whether in a proper or figurative straine it is a spirituall Prophecie if of both it 's partly materiall and partly spirituall and the title of a Prophecie takes its denomination from the place person or people of which it is spoken 2. There is a great difference betwixt the last dayes and the latter dayes For the last dayes Heb. 1. ver 2. and the last times 1 Pet. 1. ver 20. doe comprehend the whole time under the Gospel the time I say from Christs first comming to his second but the latter times 1 Tim. 4. ver 1. doe signifie onely the latter part of the last times And as the last times or dayes have their latter times so againe the latter times have their last dayes as we may see in the 2 Tim. chap. 3. ver 1. and in the 2 Pet. chap. 3. ver 3. and of the end of these last dayes of the latter times are the latter dayes in this Prophecie to be understood as St. Paul's words in the 11. chap. of the Epistle to the Rom. at the 25. and 26. verses doe evidence For I would not Brethren saith he that you should be ignorant of this mystery that blindnesse in part is hapned to Israel untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved c. And yet it is enough to confirme the first part of the Dilemma that the latter dayes in this Prophecie cannot be taken for the first dayes of the preaching of the Gospel in which onely the Gospel was preacht unto the Jewes and therefore the Israelites that sought the Lord in those first dayes of the Gospel cannot be the same Israelites which the Prophet saith shall seeke the Lord in the latter dayes of the Gospel that is not long before Christs appearing And basides what effect the word of God tooke amongst the Israelites even in the dayes in which it was preach't unto them we have formerly shewed out of the 13. chap. of the Acts at the 45. and 46. verses and out of the 1 Thess 2. at the 15. and 16. ver to which wee may adde the same Apostles great heavinesse and continuall sorrow for them Rom. 9. ver 2.3 and his words concerning Israel in 31 32 and 33. ver of the fame chapter and his prayer for them and record of them chap. 10. v. 1 2 3. and his words ch 11. v. 8 9 10.12.15.25 and 28. in which places he saith that they stumbled at the stumbling stone that is at Christ preacht unto them that they submitted not themselves unto the righteousnesse of God that they were enemies to the Gospel and that God had given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare and therefore we dare not but to affirme that Israel did not then returne thus the Lord to wit by repentance and embracement of the Gospel For the Prophet speakes not of the returne of some particular Families or of some particular persons of divers Families but of all the children of Israel that were to be so long without a King that is of the whole body of the ten Tribes at least And of the whole Israel of God it is that is of all the Tribes though not of all of every Tribe that the Apostle speaks of in the foresaid Texts of Scripture and how then can it be said of any of the Tribes that they have as yet sought the Lord and if none of the Tribes are converted where is the union you boast of betwixt the Jewes and Gentiles How are they one Christian Church when as not one of the Tribes hath
been hitherto joyn'd to this Church And further though it be not said expressely here that the children of Israel shall returne into their Land yet other parallel Prophecies doe shew that the word returne doth imply this and so doe some of the contents of this Prophecie For whereas it is said they shall be many dayes without a King it is to be understood that after the end of these dayes they shall againe have a King to wit one to reigne over them in a temporall Monarchy as before they had when David did reigne over them for such a King it is that the Prophet saith they shall be without and he saith not that they shall be without him alwayes but many dayes and therefore after the expiring of these dayes they shall againe enjoy such a King and consequently they shall againe become a Kingdome on Earth too As for the other part of the Dilemma you had nothing at all to say to it and therefore you fight with your owne fancies onely first in saying â—hat Christ came not till the Scepter was departed from Judah which though it is not easily to be maintain'd I have neither affirmed nor denyed but onely urg'd the Prophecie of Jacob to shew that the Scepter could not depart from Judah till Christs comming for whether it was to depart immediately before or shortly after it is not materiall in this Argument and consequently that if this Prophecie were to be understood of the two Tribes the punishment in abiding many dayes without a King and without a sacrifice c. could not be fulfill'd on them till their Captivitie under the Romans at the destruction of their City from whence also it will follow that their returne here foretold must needs be as yet to come And secondly in saying that the latter dayes are not to be refer'd unto the 4. v. as if the Israelites should abide many dayes without a King and sacrifice in the latter dayes and then returne but unto the 5. v. in the end whereof they are For I never thought that the latter dayes did comprehend the many dayes spoken of in the 4. v. but I know that they doe shew what a long continuance and space of time the many dayes doe imply for 't is not before but afterward that is at the end of the many dayes that the latter dayes doe begin in which the contents of the latter part of the Prophecie are to be fulfill'd as the contents of the first part of the Prophecie are in the many dayes And as I have already prov'd these latter dayes not to be begun so you your selfe seeme to confesse as much saying and so in the latter dayes they shall returne and seeke the Lord their God and Christ their King as they did Acts 2.41 and chap. 4.4 but whereas you adde and in severall ages surely the conversion of the Jewes did even wholly weare away in a very short time after the preaching of the Gospel For they were St. Paul and Barnabas that told them It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken unto you but seeing yee put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turne to the Gentiles Act. 13. ver 46. and that their behaviour was the same towards the Apostles in other places as well as at Antioch in Pisidia you may see in the 1 Thess 2. chap. at the 14 15 and 16. verses And therefore their conversion held not one ago so short was the continuance of the Jewes joyning with the Gentiles in the Christian Faith yea too short and too small to prove that the uniting of the Jewes and Genâ—â—â—es into one Church is already accomplish't and so the truth of both parts of this Argument doth appeare the more firme by your indirect and slight answer Israel's Redemption CHAP. II. Of the Jewes pious and prosperous estate after their returne BUt we are yet to shew the Jews pious peaceable and prosperous estate after their returne Read then what Jeremiah hath written in his 23. chap. at the 3. ver I will gather the remnant of my flocke out of all countries whither I have driven them and will bring them againe to their folds and they shall be fruitfull and increase and I will set up Shepherds over them which shall feâ—de them and they shall p Isa 33.20 21 22.24 Zep. 3.14.15 fedre no more nor be dismaid neither shall they be lacking saith the Lord. And in his 31. chap. at the 10 11 12 13 14.27.28.31 32 33.34 verses And in his 32. chap. at the 37 38 39.40 41 42. verses And in his 33. ch at the 6 7 8 9. ver And in his 46. chap. at the q ch 30. v. 10 11. 27 28 r Deut. 32.26 27.36.43 Psa 89.31 32 33 34. Psal 94.14 15. ver and 50. chap. at the 19 â—0 ver Read * I appeale here to the consciences of all men that shall read these or the like prophecies in the word of God whether they can thinke it possible that the time appointed by God for the dispensation of such extraordinary blessings should be the very fame in which the world and especially the Christian part of it was to groane under the continued plagues written in the Revelation which yet we must needs grant to be so if we rest on those interpretations by which all such prophecies are onely or chiefely applied to the anticipated conversion of substituted Gentiles also what Ezek. hath written In his 28. chap. at the 25 26. verse And in his 34. chap. at the 12 13 14 15 16.25 26 27 28 29. verses And in his 36. chap. at the 8 9 10 Å¿ Isa 45.25 Ezek. 37.11 18. c. ch 39.25 Ier. 12.14 15. Rom. 11.32 11 12 13 14 15.24 25 26 27 28 29.30 31 33 34 35 36. verse And in his 39. chap. at the 25 26 27 28 29. verses And lastly looke what is said in the 10. chap. of Zech. at the 6 7 8 9. ver Mr Petrie's Answer 1 All these prophecies are to the same purpose and therefore it was needlesse to have rehearsed so many of them unlesse he had a minde to muster them all But number prevaileth not in this case 2. None saith that these prophecies were onely accomplished at the some time of the plagues but wee deny that the plagues were continued seeing the Christians have their owne times of joy as well as of mourning and the woman is cloathed with the Sun howbeit at other periods she be forced to fâ—ee into the wildernesse and therefore both the appeale at the beginning and the supposition in the closure of this marginal note is a vaine bragge Why should one appeale in this manner to the consciences of all seeing interpters from the beginning of the Christian Church except a few Millenaries till this time have exponed these texts not of the Jews onely but of the Christian Church and it may be easily understood that those
till the end of the 1000. yeares and then these prophane Nations shall rise againe in armes against the Jewes Now seeing betwixt these above named Prophecies of Jer. 23. and 31. c. and these two of Esay and Amos there is not any materiall difference and no other difference then betwixt a briefe intimation and large explication of the same thing and seeing these Prophecies of Esay and Amos are to be understood of the Christian Church and estate thereof from the beginning till the end as the Apostles James and Paul expone them this conclusion followes These above named Prophecies give no ground for the earthly Monarchy of the Jewes And so much the rather may every one embrace this conclusion that we find the greatest part of these Prophecies so exponed in other passages of the New Testament as that of Jer. 31.1 in 2 Cor. 6.18 and Jer. 31.31 till 35. in Heb. 8.8 and ch 10.16 17. and Jer. 32. containes the same words which ch 31. so doth that of ch 33.8 and to the same purpose is that of ch 50.20 and that of Ezek. 34. concerning the gathering and feeding the shâ—epe exponed by our Saviour Joh. 10.11.16 and that of ch 39. is correspondent with the Prophecie of Joel whereof we spake before and that of Zach. 10. is one with Jer. 23.6.8 and other that are handled before It is to be marked that in the testimony Jer. 33. is omitted ver 12 13. where is Prophecied that in all the cities of the land shall be an habitation of Shepheards causing their flocks to lie downe there even in the cities of the mountaines the cities of the valleys the cities of Benjamin the cities of Judah What is this the glory of Christ's Kingdome that sheepe shall lie in his cities Or doth not rather the Lord understand the spirituall sheep of Christ whom he will have gathered by his spirituall Pastors every where as he exponeth it Ezek. 34.31 Ye flocks of my pasture are men and I am your God saith the Lord. Likewise this Author slippeth over ver 18. and 22. where perpetuity of Sacrifices and Levites is promised as plainly as the Throne of David Shall in the last dayes the meat-offerings and burnt offerings and the house of Levi be restored I thinke they will not say it lest they contradict the Gospel which hath abolished that order And neverthelesse the Lord saith so in Jeremie Hath the Lord said it and will he not performe it Yea he hath performed it as the Apostle witnesseth 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices to God by Jesus Christ And as the promises of the Priesthood are fulfilled spiritually and not in a proper sense so we must thinke of the promises concerning the Kingdome seeing they both are conjoyned and mixed after the same strain as we have them there ver 17 18. and ver 21.22 Thus saith the Lord David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel neither shall the Priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt-offerings and to kindle meate-offerings and to doe sacrifices continually c. But all this evidence cannot satisfie selfe-conceits therefore it is added Reply You grant first that the foresaid Prophecies doe containe evident arguments for a future restauration of Israel whereby if you meane no more then a future restauration in relation to the time in which it was foretold you grant onely what you could not possibly deny seeing Prophecies speak not of things already done but to be done and if you meane a future restauration in relation to the time that now is you contradict your self in saying presently after that it is already begun in part seeing that which is as yet to begin cannot be already begun and that which is already begun cannot be as yet to begin and if you meane by a future restauration such a restauration as was to begin at the first preaching of the Gospel and to continue to the comming of Christ besides that it is somewhat an harsh expression it is not true that you have before clearely proved this by the testimonies of the Apostles and by experience for you have not brought any at all much lesse any cleare testimonies out of the Apostlesr to prove that this restauration which the Prophets speake of is to be wrought successively and by degrees in many ages or that it is meant only of a spirituall restauration or that by the Israelites any of the Gentiles are to be understood neither can experience shew you any one Tribe converted to the Christian faith but that all the Tribes are of a different Religion from us You grant also that these Prophecies doe agree in their contents with the Prophecies of Amos and Isaiah alledg'd by the Apostles but you deny 1. Our manner of restauration for you hold you say that the spirituall restauration is more glorious for the honour of God and weale of Israel And did you consider what you said in all this doe we speake of a corporall restauration onely and not of a spirituall too certainly that we hold not only a bodily restauration of the Jewes from their captivity is very well knowne unto you by our words you here answer and your very next words doe confirme it where you deny that the Apostle James alledgeth the Prophecie of Amos for the generall conversion of the Jewes and what is it to contend for their conversion but to hold their spirituall restauration so that although you hold onely a spirituall restauration to be meant in the Prophecies we hold both to be meant in them And is it most for their weale thinke you to be restored from the bondage of their bodies and soules both or from the bondage of their soules onely and is the accomplishment of one or of both these most glorious for the honour of God But it had been a signe of farre more discretion and of some Christian modesty in you if you had onely forborne to teach God so often what course he should take to make himselfe appeare the more glorious for doubtlesse it is most for Gods glory to accomplish what he hath promised to doe and we cannot imagine but that he hath promised to doe what should make most for his glory 2. You deny that the Apostle James alledgeth the Prophecy of Amos for such a conversion of the Jewes for he speakes expresly you say of visiting the Gentiles c. The Apostle James by your owne confession alledgeth two Prophecies one as you say after page 27. of old Simeon Acts 15. at the 14. vers and the other of Amos ver 16.17 where there is expresse mention of building the Tabernacle of David as in the former there is of visiting the Gentiles and yet you would have this last Prophecy to be no more then an Exposition of the former which we have once already shew'd to be false
to be mindfull of that which being a mysterie they were ignorant of untill he had now reveal'd it unto them to wit the conversion of All Israel of the whole Nation when the fulnesse of the Gentiles should come in And as I have before shewed that Israel here is properly to be taken so I dare say that you cannot alledge any text of Scripture that will justifie the mysticall acception of it if it be throughly scan'd And whereas you say that the Prophecie Esa 66. ver 8. was fulfill'd truely albeit not fully when the believing Church travelled and brought forth so great multitudes in one day as may be call'd a Nation as 3000. and 5000. Acts 2.41 and 4. ver 4. and chap. 8. ver 6. and chap. 19. ver 10.17 18.20.26 besides other great and miraculous conversions whereof we read in Ecclesiasticall Histories Certainly your application sailes you very much For first the Prophet speaks of the conversion of a whole Nation not of halfe a Nation and much lesse of so small a number as you to maintaine your cause would perswade us to take for a Nation Secondly he speaks but of one Nation to wit the Nation of the Jewes and not of the Jewes and Gentiles both as you in these instances doe interpret him Thirdly he speaks of Sions travelling when she should returne from her unbeliefe as the contemporating Prophecies in the same chapter doe shew and not before she fell into unbeliefe as the conversion of the Jewes which you mention was And fourthly the conversion he foreshewes is to be so sodaine that it is said to be performed at once which connot be affirmed of a conversion of any ordinarie continuance and how then can it be affirmed of a conversion of so many yeares and ages as you understand it of in applying it to the whole time under the Gospel For suppose that a great summe of mony were to be paid to you at once would you give the creditour leave to make this construction of it that it was to be paid by him and his heirs to you and your heires untill it were all paid doubtlesse you would not and yet as if all the time betwixt Christs first and second comming were not time enough to be understood by one day and at once you tell us too It is certaine it was in part fulfill'd at their returning from Babel for then they reared up their walls they planted Vineyards c. Who ever heard of such a large at once of an at once to begin at the deliverance of the Jewes from Babylon and to continue to the next appearing of Christ what could the Prophet have made the speedie execution of that he speaks of a matter of so great admiration if it should have been any long time in fulfilling or shall we say that Adino the Eznite who lift up his Speare against eight hundred whom he slew at one time did it at so many severall times as there were men slaine by him 2 Sam. 23. ver 8. or that when Abraham said Let not the Lord be angry and I will speake yet but this once Gen. 18. ver 32. it is to be understood that he spake more then that once or that when the Lord said unto Joshua Ye shall goe about the City once Josh 6. ver 3. it was to be done many times together for in all these texts there are the same words in the originall as are here in the Prophet were not this most wilfully to contradict the text and yet you can very modestly reverently and righteously affirme that It is certaine this once was in part fulfill'd at the Jewes returning from Babel But where are the reasons that prove this certainty seeing there is neither in this verse nor in the whole chapter any mention of Babylon or of walls and Vineyards and if there had been mention of rearing up their walls and Vineyards how could you understand it properly here who take it figuratively Amos 9. ver 14. so that all this being laid together to wit that this Prophecie doth speake of the conversion of a whole Nation of but one Nation of a Nation formerly given up to unbeliefe and at once againe to return to the truth it should me thinks be motive enough to make any partiall or impartiall Reader to understand the accomplishment of it particularly of the Nationall conversion of the Jewes onely by the plentifull effusion of Gods Spirit upon on them before the great and terrible Day of the Lords appearing as Joel hath prophecied And as for that which followes any one that hath but halfe an eye may perceive how well your eye-sight serv'd you when you conceived that the Prophecie Matth. 21. ver 43. was alledged by me to prove the temporall Kingdome of the Jewes who have alledg'd it onely as a reason to shew that this Prophecie of Isaiah could not be fulfill'd at the returning of the Jewes from Babylon because the meanes of salvation the Kingdome of God as our Saviour cals it was then amongst them only of which they were to be destitute before the accomplishment of this Prophecie which shewes their conversion to it againe And he may perceive too how you take non causa pro causà how injuriously you impute unto me the alledging of the accomplishment of our Saviours Prophecie to shew that Joels Prophecie was not fulfill'd which was indeed before prov'd by such reasons as you could not answer Israel's Redemption CHAP. III. Of the surviving Gentiles subjection unto and communion and fellowship with the Jewes in the knowledge and worship of God YOu have hitherto heard of the deliverance and happinesse of the Jewes onely I shall now acquaint you with their partakers which shall be such as are left of the Nations that are then to be destroy'd as you may see in the 66. chapter of Isaiah at 15. and 19. verses Behold the Lord will come with fire and mith his Chariots like a whirle-winde to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire for by * Ezek. 39. v. 4 5 6. c. Mal 4 ver 1. Psal 50. v 3. 2 Thess 1. v. 7 8 c. fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slaine of the Lord shall be many And I will set a signe among them and I will send those that escape of them unto the Nations to Tarshish Pul and Lud that draw the bow to Tubal and Javan to the Isles a farre off that have not heard my fame neither have seene my glory and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles And they shalt bring all your brethren for an y Isa 18. v. 7. offering unto the Lord out of all Nations upon horses and in Charrers and in Litters and upon Mules and upon swift beasts to my holy Mountaine Jerusalem saith the Lord as the children of Israel bring an offering in a cleane vessell into the house of the Lord. And I will also
you may the better beguile others of the truth For first the union foreshewed in these Prophecies is not to begin untill the Nations which shall oppose the Jewes after their returne be miraculously overthrowne at the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ as the foresaid Prophecie of Isaiah chap. 66. at the 15 16 19. ver c. compar'd with the 38. and 39. chapters of Ezek. with the 3. chap. of Joel and with the 19. chap. of the Rev. at the 11 12 13 14 15 c. doth plainly declare And secondly at the accomplishment of the union foreshewed by these Prophecies All Nations must goe up to worship before the Lord at Jerusalem as the latter part of the 66. chapter of Isaiah doth shew to which we may adde the Prophecies in the 8. chap. of Zecha at the 20. ver c. and in the 14. chap. at the 16. ver c. The words are Thus saith the Lord of Hostes it shall came to passe that there shall come people and the Inhabitants of many Cities and the Inhabitants of one Citie shall goe to another saying Let us goe speedily to pray before the Lord of Hostes I will goe also yea many people and strong Nations shall come to seeke the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of Hostes In those dayes it shall come to passe that ten men shall take hold out of all Languages of the Nations even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying We will goe with you for we have heard that God is with you And it shall come to passe that every one that is left of all Nations which came against Jerusalem shall even goe up from yeare to yeare to worship the King the Lord of Hosts and to keep the feast of Tabernâ—cles and it shall be that who so will not come up of all the Families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King the Lord of Hosts even upon them shall be no raine And thirdly at the accomplishment of this union the Jewes shall not seeke unto the Gentiles but the Gentiles in generall unto the Jewes onely for instruction in the wayes of God as Isaiah saith chap. 2 ver 2. and 3. and Micah chap. 4. ver 1. and 2. It shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountaine of the Lords house shall established in the top of the mountaines and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it and many people shall goe and say Come yee and let us goe up to the Mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his waies and wee will walke in his pathes for out of Sion shall goe forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem And fourthly at the accomplishment of this union and throughout the whole time of its continuance which it exprest Rev. the 20. ver 2 3. there is to be an uninterrupted peace over all the world as the following words of the foregoing prophecy of Isa Micah doe manifest And he shall judge amongst the Nations shall rebuke many people they shal breake their swords into plow shares their speares into pruning books nation shal not lift up sword against Nation neither shall they learne warre any more With which agreeth that of Hosea chap. 2. ver 18. In that day I will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground And I will breake the bow and the sword and the battell out of the earth and will make them to lie downe safely And to this wee adjoyne the prophecy Psal 46.8 9. Come behold the workes of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth He maketh warres to cease unto the ends of the earth he breaketh the bow and cutteth the speare in sunder he burneth the chariot in the fire And fiftly at the accomplishment of this union the converted Jew shall not be governed by the ecclesiastical and civill lawes of the Gentiles as it is now but the Gentiles by the ecclesiastical and civill lawes of the Iewes as is before shewed by their going up to Ierusalem to worship and to be instructed in the wayes of the Lord. And as touching their civill grovernment it is further evidenced by the prophecies in which the Gentiles great subjection to the Iewes is revealed Of which sort are the prophecies Isaiah chap. 14.1 2. chap. 49.22 23. chap. 60.9 10 11 12. c. and chap. 61.4 5 6 7. And thus good reader thou hast the true sense and scope of the prophecies with which as Mr Petrie saith I have needlesly silled many pages and doubtlesse it was very needfull for him to say so seeing their perspicuity is so irresistible that he could finde no mysticall paraphrase against it to puzzle thee withall Israel's Redemption But to say that this is now fulfilled in the time of the substituted Gentiles vocation is to overthrow what was before affirmed and to take great paines to beguile our selves and others of the truth it is I say to put out our owne eyes and bid others follow us for St Paul in the 11. of the Rom. tells us plainly that the Jewes â—re broken off from their Olive tree and that we are graffed in for them that they are cast away that they are hardened that God hath concluded them all in unbeliefe and that through their fall salvation is come unto us to provoke them to h Deut. 32.21 jealousie And therefore it cannot possibly be maintained that the Jewes and Gentiles are as yet one i Ioh. 10.16 sheepfold Mr Petrie's Answer The Apostle saith not that all the Jewes are broken off but rather the contradictory ver 1. and 5. neither saith he that God hath shut up all the Jewes in unbeliefe that he might have mercy upon all the Jewes but us our former translation saith conforme to the originall God hath shut up all in unbeliefe that he might have mercy upon all whereunto the words of the same Apostle Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath coucluded all under sinne that the promise by saith in Jesus Christ might be given to them who beleeve Here the Apostle is not speaking of the Jewes onely but generally both of Jewes and Gentiles and so farre must his words be extended thereto seeing he is speaking of them ver 30. and 31. and so the meaning of ver 32. is It was the counsel of God to suffer both Jewes and Gentiles to fall into unbeliefe or disobedience as the mond Apeitheia likewise imports and the word sin teaches Gal. 3. that he might save all his elect both of Jewes and Gentiles after one way not by their workes but of his mercy onely And therefore I cannot possibly conceive how a man of understanding can bring or receive such a conclusion out of these words as this It
in saying that the union of the two people of the Jewes and Gentiles consists in the union of the Church under the Old and New Testament You doe herein grant first that the Church under the New Testament is the Church of the Gentiles and so not of the Jewes and Gentiles both as it should be if it did proportionably consist of the Jewes and Gentiles And secondly you doe herein grant that the Apostles words Ephes 2. ver 11. c. are meant of this union for you cannot conceive that the union betwixt the two people consists in the union of the Church under the Old and New Testament unlesse you doe conceive withall that the places which speake of their union are so to be understood And thirdly you doe herein contradict the preceding prophecies which you grant to foreshew the same uniting of the two people for these Prophecies doe plainely declare the uniting of the whole Nation of the Jewes with all the Nations of the Gentiles on the earth and not the uniting of Gentiles under the Gospel with Jewes under the Law not the uniting I say of one part of Christs mysticall bodie the Church then in heaven with another part thereof newly cal'd to the Faith on earth Israel's Redemption And besides how the bringing of the Jewes out of all Nations upon horses and in Litters and in Charrets and upon mules and upon mens shoulders can beare any other but a literall sense or how the vaile that is spread over all Nations can now be said to be destroy'd when as so many of them runne a whoring after their owne inventions I cannot conceive Yea Even unto this day saith St. Paul of the Jewes in his time when Moses is read the vaile is upon their heart Neverthelesse when it shall returne unto the Lord the vaile shall be taken away 2 Cor. 3. ver 15. and 16. But we see not yet Israel return'd yea we see it fallen into more grosse ignorance and superstition and therefore the vaile is not yet taken away and consequently is not yet destroyed from all Nations Mr. Petrie's Answer Whether he cannot or will not conceive it may be doubted many 1000. have conceived both those he gives no reason of his doubting in the former and the cause of his doubting in the other is naught for albeit the vaile be not taken away from all the Jewes and from all of all the Nations in which sense it shall never be taken away seeing the Church on earth is alwayes a mixt company yet certainly it is taken away from the Jewes and all the Nations to wit so many of them as turne to the Lord which are so many as the Starres in heaven that is innumerable to men For the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared unto all men Tit. 2.11 And God who hath commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ so writes a Jew unto the Gentiles 2 Cor. 4.6 Reply The reason of my doubting in the former passage is because neither you nor any other can give a reason sufficient to prove that the bringing of the Jewes for an offering unto the Lord out of all Nations upon horses and in Litters and in Charrets and upon mules and upon swift beasts c. to his mountaine at Jerusalem is not to be taken in a proper sense for the best reason you can shew is as it seemes that many thousands have conceived these words in another sense which is as good a reason to prove that other sense to be the true sense of them as it is to say that Mahomet was no false Prophet because many millions have and doe erroneously conceive him to be a true Prophet And why did you not afford us a sight of that other sense which so many 1000. have taken these words in and of the important reasons that mov'd them so to doe seeing you confesse page 10. that the Scripture is properly to be taken unlesse the proper sense be dissonant from the scope of the text or contrary to the analogie of Faith or honesty of manners neither of which hath been prov'd of the proper sense of these words nor of any of the Prophecies upon which you strive so much to impose a figurative sense And as you have not brought a reason to remove my doubting in this former passage so you have not prov'd the reason of my doubting in the other to be naught For in saying that albeit the vaile be not taken away from all the Jewes and from all of all the Nations in which sense it shall never be taken away c. yet certainly it is taken away from the Jewes and from all Nations to wit so many of them as turne to the Lord c. In saying thus you say nothing to the purpose for was it not thus when the Prophet spake these words was not the vaile then taken away from as many of the Jewes and of other Nations as were then turn'd unto the Lord And when St. Paul said Even unto this day when Moses is read the vaile is upon their heart neverthelesse when it shall returne unto the Lord the vaile shall be taken away were there not then more Jewes converted to the Christian Faith then have been ever since and yet the Apostle saith that the vaile was then upon their hearts and speaks of the removing of it from them as of a thing to be done and not then done although those were then converted which God had appointed to be then converted And therefore the Apostles words are to be understood of the removing of the vaile from all the Jewes and not from some onely And the Prophet saith likewise that God will destroy the Covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all Nations which cannot be fulfill'd when onely a part of the vaile is destroy'd as you understand it but shall be when the whole vaile is destroyed And that it shall be wholly destroyed the Prophecie of Isaiah chap. 2. v. 2 3. which shewes that all Nations shall goe up to the mountaine of the Lords house to be taught in his wayes and the same Prophets words ch 11. v. 9. for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea And the Prophecies which shew that all Nations shal goe up to Jerusalem to worship doe with the preceding Prophecie joyntly testifie and therefore this first clause of your parenthesis doth flatly denie what God doth frequently affirme And the Scripture which you have alledg'd is us'd onely as a daring glasse to dazzle the eyes of the heedlesse or unlearned Reader for that of Tit. chap. 2. ver 11. hath relation to the severall ages Sexes and conditions of men as the preceding verses doe shew so that to all men there is no more then to all sorts of men young and
creatures deliverance that it is a deliverance but of a part of the creatures and surely we doe not say that the deliverance of the sensitive creatures is the deliverance of all the creatures but we say that all the insensitive creatures too shall be restor'd to their Primitive perfection and so delivered from the bondage of corruption when these are as other Prophecies doe foreshew of them And seeing you acknowledge the Renovation of the creature to be its deliverance we marvell what you meane in saying that the Apostle is speaking there of the finall deliverance of the creature For if you meane by the finall deliverance a further renovation of it surely we know but of one renovation of the creature that the Scriptures speake of and that is to be a perfect renovation of it but if you meane annihilation and dissolution of it you hold one more deliverance of the creature then any other Divine doth to wit a deliverance by renovation and a deliverance by abolition but wee denie that the Apostle speakes there of the dissolution of the creature and that this is cal'd a deliverance of the creature from the bondage of corruption in any place of the Scripture Yea wee see not how the creatures deliverance from the bondage of corruption should be a delivering of it into a greater corruption nor how the creature should rather earnestly expect such a deliverance from the bondage of corruption by which all the kinds of it shall be destroyed then desire to continue subject to this bondage under which all the kinds are preserved And seeing the creatures bondage of corruption is the vanitie to which it was made subject by reason of mans sinne after its creation and so cannot be meant of that corruptible condition of the creature in which it was created subject to death and dissolution it must needs follow as wee conceive that the creatures dissolution cannot be its deliverance For such as the bondage is such must the deliverance be but the bondage was the alteration which befell it through mans sinne after its creation which was adventitious to it and not its corruptibilitie which was made naturall to it by creation and consequently the deliverance must be a restauration of it the deliverance of the sensitive creatures a restauration from their hurtfull and untamed disposition to a mild and harmelesse and of the insensitive of the Starres and Heavens from a malignant influence to a favourable and from a dimmer to a clearer brightnesse c. And whereas you say that the Author collecteth nothing particularly from that text Isaiah 65. ver 25. Surely he collects as much from that Prophecie as from the other and to this end hath alledged both together because both doe reveale the same thing but if you want a particular observation from this text you may take notice that he saith And dust shall be the Serpents meat whereby he shewes that when the Lyon shall eate straw like the bullock when all other beasts and creeping things of the earth and fowles of the aire shall live by that food which was appointed for them at the creation Gen. 1. ver 30. the Serpent onely shall feed still on the nourishment of his curse Gen. 3. ver 14. as a memoriall of his being the instrument of mans fall and so of subjecting his fellow-creatures into vanity thereby And how could you say that there is not any word of the Jewish Monarchy in this Prophecie whenas these are the verses immediately foregoing And I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voyce of crying There shall be no more there an infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes for the child shall dye an hundred yeares old but the siner being an hundred yeares old shall be accursed They shall build houses and inhabit them and they shall plant Vineyards and eat the fruite of them they shall not build and another inhabit they shall not plant and another eate for as the dayes of a tree are the dayes of my people and mine elect shall long enjoy the worke of their hands they shall not labour in vaine nor bring forth for trouble for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their off-spring with them and it shall come to passe that before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will heare The Wolfe and the Lamb shall feed together c. What thinke you of all this doth it not plainly shew the future establishment and prosperity of the Jewes in their owne Land as the latter part of the 11. chap. doth their returne to it and are not the dumb creatures as plainly distinguisht here from the Jewes as in the 11. chap. from the Iewes and Gentiles what then shall we say of you who have so little care of your credit and regard of your Conscience as to denie that here is any word of the Jewish Monarchy surely you have need of such Readers as will swallow all you say with an implicite faith for if they take the course of the noble Bereans and search whether it be as you say or not you will often be found a traitour to the manifest truth of God a crime doubtlesse of no low ranke a sinne of no light dye Israel's Redemption Another Prophecie touching the renewed estate of the creatures is to be seen in the 30. chap. of Isa at the 23. v. Then shall be give the rain of thy seed that thou shalt sow the ground withall and bread of the increase of the earth and it shall be fat and plenteous In that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures The Oxen likewise and the young Asses that eare the ground shall eate cleane provender which hath been winnowed with shovell and with the fanne and there shall be upon every high hill rivers and streames of waters in the day of the slaughter when the towers fall Moreover the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sun shall be seven-fold as the light of seven dayes in the Day that the Lord t Mal. 3. ver 17 18. bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroke of their wound But the great increase of the light of the Sunne and Moone here spoken of is in the 60. chap. at the 19. ver plainely gainesayed the words are these The Sunne shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnesse shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory Where if it had been said that the Sun should no more burne them by day nor the Moone by night as it is in the 121. Psal or smite them as it is in the 49. chap. of Esa at the 10. ver I could have sent you for an answer to the fourth chap. of the same
Prophet at the 5. ver The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence And there shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day from the heat and for a place of refuge and for covert from storme and from raine But seeing it is said The Sunne shall be no more thy light by day these places will be better reconciled if we acknowledge that in the 60. chap. there is a mixt rehearsall of those blessings which are proper onely to the heavenly Jerusalem which as it is Rev. 21. ver 23. and chap. 22. ver 5. hath no need of the Sunne neither of the Moone to shine in it with those which the Jewes shall receive at the restauration of their earthly Jerusalem for such a mixture of things which shall in their execution be many generations apart is very usuall in the Prophets Mr. Petrie's Answer Here he shewes no Argument for this purpose but gives a buze for reconciling the 26. ver with chap. 60.19 but all this travell might have been saved if he had considered that Isa in chap. 30. hath a particular warning for the Jewes in his owne time he speakes not there of any returning of the people but in the beginning he reproveth them for their confidence in Egypt and for their contempt of the Word and in the midst he foretelleth the mercies of God on them and lastly assureth them of the destruction of their enemies the Assyrians by name all which were accomplished in his owne time as we may finde in chap. 37. and for these causes nothing in that 30. chap. can make for the restauration of the creatures at that imagined Monarchy Reply How you say he shewes no Argument for his purpose but gives a buze for reconciling the 26. ver with chap. 60. ver 19. And doe you speake this in good earnest I pray then tell us when the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sunne and when the light of the Sunne shall be seven fold as the light of seven dayes if it shall not be fulfill'd at the time of our Saviours reigne on earth For as yet it hath not been thus and after the last resurrection it cannot be because then the day and night shall come to an end as it is Job 26. ver 10. because then these Heavens in which the Sunne Moone and Starres are set shall passe away shall be no more found as it is Rev. 20. ver 11. and Job 14. ver 12. And therefore it must needs be thus at the restoring of the Kingdome to Israel or as the Prophet here expresseth it in the Day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroke of their wound and so here is not onely a buze but such an argument too for our purpose as you knew better how to avoyde then answer how to conceale then to reconcile with your opinion and yet if you like not the buze you speake of I can give you another buze for perhaps that text in the 60. ch may be thus understood to wit that the cloud which chap. 4. the Lord hath promised to create upon every dwelling place of mount Sion shall both defend it from the heat of the Sunne and be it selfe a light unto it by day and that the shining of the flaming fire which he will create shall be in stead of the brightnesse of the Moone unto it by night But all my travell in the reconciling of the 26. verse of this chapter with the 19. ver of the 60. chap. might have been spar'd you say if I had considered that Isa chap. 30. had a particular warning for the Jewes in his owne time and so repeating the severall heads of the chap. you conclude all which were accomplisht in the Prophets owne time as we may finde in chap. 37. And what doe wee findâ— there doe we finde that the threatning against the Jewes chap. 30. for their confidence upon Egypt and their contempt of Gods word was fulfill'd in Sennacheribs threatning to come up against Hezekiah no but the contrary that Sennacherib was disappointed of his purpose by Hezekiahs prayer unto the Lord. Doe we finde then that the destruction of the Assyrian which is foretold in the 30. chap. was fulfill'd in that slaughter of an hundred and fourscore and five thousand of Sennacherib's Army mention'd chap. 37 no for that slaughter was an extraordinary Judgement of God by an Angel sent in the night to destroy them but the destruction spoken of in the 30. chap. was to be in more then one place and to be performed with Tabrets and Harpes and in battles of shaking as the 32. verse doth declare Doe wee finde then that the mercies of God foretold in the midst of the 30. chap. for the people shall dwell at Sion in Jerusalem thou shalt weepe no more And there shall be upon every high mountaine and upon every high hill rivers and streames of water Moreover the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sun c. Doe we finde it recorded in the 37. ch that these things were fulfill'd in the Prophets dayes no wee finde not a word there touching ought of all this Prophecie and therefore the 37. chap. is onely a Chronicle of that which passed betwixt Hezekiah and Sennacherib and no Register of the accomplishment of what is foretold in the 30. chap. and consequently Mr. Petrie in affirming this of purpose to shift off the invincible evidence of that which wee have alledged out of the 30. chap. for the restauration of the creatures hath shewed himselfe a teacher fit for none but such as the Prophet mentions chap. 30. ver 10. who said unto the Prophets Prophecie not unto us right things speake unto us smooth things prophecy deceits Israel's Redemption And it is the more likely to be so here not onely because the words immediately following in both Prophecies are in sense all one for they shew the same reason wherefore the Sun and Moone should no more give light unto them but also because the happinesse which the Jewes shall then be made heires of shall never againe be interrupted by any misery For the ransomed of the Lord shall returne and come to Sion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads They shall obtaine joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Esay the 35. at the 10. ver And lest one should conceit that the Judgement of the dead plainely describ'd in the 20. chap. of the Rev. at the 11 12 c. shall either suspend or disturb this joy Saint Paul in the 1. Epist to the Cor. the 6. chap. the 2. and 3. ver hath told us that the Saints shall judge the world * These first words may not unfitly be referr'd also to the time of the Saints reigne
for Mr. Maton thinkes that Christ shall continue visible King of this Kingdome and Mr. Archer thinkes that Christ shall restore the Kingdome unto the Jewes and returne into the Heavens till the thousand yeares be whered and in the meane time the Jewes shall be Kings Till these into questions be decided we might supersede and neverthelesse let us heare what they can say for a temporary Kingdome of Christ whether oâ—er Jewes and Gentiles Reply The temporary Kingdome of the Jewes hath been already demonstrated by such evident Scriptures and unanswerable Arguments from them as you durst not to examine and it is now praised be God for his good leave and assistance delivered also from that darknesse which your deluding allegories and farre setcht interpretations doe draw over it and thereby set free from that disgrace and contempt which you strive so much to bring is into amongst the Gentiles And our next taske is to discover the like fraudulent dealing in your Answers to those texts and reasons by which wee have prov'd that our Saviour who shall restore this Kingdome shall also reigne over it on earth And first that the Reader may not take distaste at us before he heare us you tell him here that these sew Millenaries agree not concerning the person of their King for Mr. Maton thinks that Christ shall continue visible King of this Kingdome and Mr. Archer thinkes that Christ shall restore the Kingdome unto the Jewes and returne unto the Heavens Herein indeed wee agree not and as I heartily wish that all Christians did so rightly understand the word of God that there might be no difference at all amongst them so seeing offences must needs come and that there must be heresies and divisions amongst us that they which are approved may be made manifest 1 Cor. 11. ver 18 19. I had rather differ from any man in opinion then for any by respect to depart from one jot or title of the truth which is either plainely reveal'd in the Scripture or may be gathered from it by infallible consequence And sure I am that as wee find often mention of our Saviours comming againe so Job tells us chap. 19. ver 25. that his Redeemer shall stand at the latter day upon the earth to wit at the day of his next appearing and the Saints resurrection as these words immediately following doe declare And though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God c. And St. Luke ch 1. v. 31 records that the Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and Jer. chap. 23. ver 5. that he shall reigne and prosper and shall execute Judgement and Justice in the earth and so say Isaiah and Zechary yea and we conceive it to be for this reason especially that Judea is cal'd the Land of Immanuel Isaiah 8. ver 8. and we reade not of his departure from the earth againe untill the earth it selfe shall passe away at the last resurrection Yea unlesse our Saviour should as well reigne over the Jewes as restore their Kingdome to them wee cannot conceive why he should descend before the universall Judgement seeing he can as well restore the Kingdome of the Jewes in Heaven where he is as if he should descend unto the earth to doe it But yet your collection from this difference to wit that â—till these two Questions be decided you may superside is a very dangerous Doctrine For though superside be a very fine word yet as you use is it hath a very soule consequence for you would have the Reader conceive that there is no truth in the subject wee treat of because there is some difference betwixt us in the stating of it whereas indeed all truth is made the more firme and manifest by difference else what shall wee say of our Religion there being scarce any one head or Article in Divinity about which there hath not been or is not now some difference or other amongst Christians if then wee must superside from if wee must let passe if wee must have nothing to doe with those things in which there is not a full agreement amongst us we must omit the use of the Lords Supper because Papists differ from Lutherans and Calvinists from both about the presence of Christ in the Sacrament Wee must not beleeve our election or Justification because Divines doe differ about the materiall and formall canses of the one and the moving and meriting causes of the other and because there is a difference betwixt you and us about the manner and place of our Saviours Kingdome we must not believe that he hath any Kingdome yea we must quite cast off the worship of God because we cannot agree about the forme of it some being for a set forme and others against it some againe for premeditated and others for extemporary prayers And thus to make one truth odious you stick not to make a shipwrack of the faith even at once to destroy our whole Christian practise and beliefe so contrary is your advice to that of the Apostle in the 1 Thess chap. 5. ver 21. Prove all things hold fast that which is good Now for conclusion of this first part I will adde Mr. Brightmans words touching the 7. and 8. ver of the 66. chap. of Isaiah and the 3. ver of the 110. Psal Many such places of Scripture saith he might he brought to this purpose he meaneth to shew the generall conversion of the Jewes and perhaps it would be profitable to bring them at least for this end that our Writers might have occasion thereby given them to consider more diligently of these places from the right interpretation whereof I feare mee that we wander when as we make them to speake of things that he past whereas they doe fore-tell of things yet to come In his Revel of the Apoc. chap. 19. on the 8 and 9. verses pag. 791. and his words on the 11. ver of the 6. chap. of the Cant. Time saith he will teach many things to be in the Prophets which we commonly interpret as though they were past whose event is yet to come and especially as it seemeth to mee in the calling of the Jewes which verily little confidered of ours hath darkned I will not say perverted the proper and naturall meaning of the Prophets in many places 1 COR. 4. v. 8. c. NOw yee are full now ye are rich ye have reigned as Kings without us and I would â—o God yee did reigne that we also might reigne with you For I thinke that God hath set forth us the Apostles last â—s it were men appointed to death for we are made a spectacle unto the world and to Angels and to men We are fooles for Christs sake but yee are wise in Christ we are weake but yee are strong ye are honourable but wee are despised Even unto this present houre we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have
my Father hath appointed unto me that yee may eate and drinke at my table in my Kingdome and sit on seates judging the 12 tribes of Israel Which words as they doe plainely distinguish the time of Christs temptations from the time of his Kingdome so they doe shew too that the Apostles Kingdome was then onely appointed unto them by our Saviour and not then enjoyed by them And you cannot deny it unlesse you will say that the Disciples did then sit on seates judging the twelve Tribes of Israel or that Christ himselfe did then reigne for it is his owne Kingdome which he here appoints unto them Neither will the texts which you have cited prove that the time of our Saviours and the Saints persecution and affliction doth contemporate with the time of their reigne For that Psal 110.2 Reigne thou in the midst of thy enemies doth shew onely that he shall reigne amongst those who shall declare themselves enemies to him and his both before and when he comes to reigne and not that his enemies shall have any power to molest much lesse to raise persecution against him and his when he doth reigne for the 1 verse doth manifest that these enemies are to be made his footstoole at his very entrance into his Kingdome at his comming from the right hand of God at which time it is that he is to reigne amidst them and not before And that text Rom. 8 37. doth shew onely that through Gods speciall love towards us we are enabled to conquer aâ—l tribulation distresse perill or whatsoever else that can be brought on us for our faith in Christ and consequently that we doe now contend for a Kingdome but not that we doe now reigne for who will say that when two strive for the mastery either of them is conquerour â—ill one be vanquisht or that when two Princes contend for a Kingdome either doth reigne over the other till one be quite subdued unto the other and such certainely is our condition in this life and no other For now yee are full now yee are rich yee have reigned as Kings without us and I would to God yee did reigne that we also might reigne with you saith Saint Paul 1 Cor. 4.8 where he goes on For I thinke that God hath set forth us the Apostles last as it were men appointed to death for we are made a spectacle unto the world and to the Angels and to men c. What! would the Apostle have thus denved that he did reigne onely because many tribulations did attend him if the reigne of the Saints and their sufferings were consistent Doubtlesse he would not and therefore though they depart out of this life as conquerours over all temptations through the grace of God that is in them yet they live not here as Kings but as combatants neither doe they finish their conquest till the appointed time of thâ—ir life be finished And when should they be Kings but when they receive their crownes which is not while they fight nor presently after they have overcome but when they receive their bodies againe to weare them but at the day of Christs next appearing which shall be a Coronation day to all them that love that day as the same Apostle's words doe witnesse 2 Tim. 4.7.8 I have fought saith he a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that love his appearing And in the 2 chap. of the same Epistle also ver 11.12 he thus plainely distinguisheth the time of the Saints reigning from the time of their suffering It is a faithfull saying for if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reigne with him Here Mr. Petrie further excepts against two particulars in the parenthesis of my foresaid words The 1 Particular And shall not their bodies as well reigne with Christ as their soules but these we know are and shall be yet captives to the grave Mr. Petrie's Answer When Christ shall come the last enemy shall be destroy'd and the bodies and not the Soules which dye not shall be made alive and both shall be with him for ever Reply You should here have told us whether the bodies of the Saints shall not reigne with Christ as well as their soules in stead whereof you tell us that their soules dye not and that when Christ comes their bodies shall be made alive and both bodies and soules shall be with him for ever I dare say this answer was never learned in any approved schoole and I beleeve indeed that this Querie did put you to a stand For if you should have denyed that the bodies of the Saints must reigne as well as their soules you could shew no reason for it And if you should have granted it you had herein denyed your owne Tenet to wit that the Saints do now reigne because while they are in this life they suffer in their bodies all manner of distresse they are hungry thirsty naked scourged buffeted banished tormented and when their soules depart out of this life their bodies are left behind to moulder into dust So that neither while they are in the body nor when they are out of the body are their bodies in a condition agreeable to a regall estate to the quiet free honourable powerfull and delightsome estate of Kings of such as rule over others Yea it is in regard of their bodily afflictions onely that they are here of all men most miserable and the spirituall conquest of their souls is indeed the principall occasion of mens tyrannizing over their bodies and of their conquering and destroying the life thereof The 2 Particular Are the Saints that shall be found alive at Christs comming exempted from his Kingdome for if he should reigne till then and then give up his Kingdome to his Father they are exempted Mr. Petrie's Answer He is a King till then and governeth all who are and shall be and when he shall come they who shall be found alive shall be caught up to meete him And because the clearing of this point may serve for clearing the whole matter I adde by way of explanation As the sinne of Adam was committed against God the Father his revolting or apostasie was a diminution of the Fathers Kingdome so the bringing of the faithfull into his obedience is the rendring of that Kingdome It is true the offence was against the Sonne and Holy Spirit but the worke of the creation being the worke of the Father in a speciall manner as it is intimated in the Creede the sinne was directly against the first Person When obedience was not given the Father might have executed his justice on the offenders as he did on the Angels Now as when a part of an earthly Kingdome rebelleth against the King directly and
the beleeving Iew was he not so before Christs incarnation as well as since was he not Abrahams seed before as well as since was he not heire according to the promise before as well as since What hinders then but that the Iewes may notwithstanding this spirituall union and fellowshâ—p with the beleeving Gentiles be as heretofore so at their generall conversion againe advanced above all other Nations by many not onely outward favours and priviledges but by a greater measure of inward gifts and abilities also Israel's Redemption Neiâ—her was the Temple then destroyed but afterwards and therefore the things here spoken of are all to be accomplished at his second comming and that not in heaven but on earth On earth I say and in e Jerusalem where f Davids Throne was For his feete shall stand in that day Isai 33.20 â—hap 50. ver â— 2 3.9 10. Psal 122 5. to wit when he comes or if God himselfe be here by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 figuratively described when he brings him to receive his appointed Kingdome on the Mount of Olives which is before Ierusalem on the East from which Mount our Saviour ascended and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the East and toward the West and there shall be a very great valley and halfe the mountaine shall remove toward the North and halfe of it toward the South And ye shall flâ—e to the valley of the mountaines for the valley of the mountaines shall reach unto Azal yea ye shall flee like as ye fled from before the Earthquake in the dayes of Uzziah King of Judah And the Lord my God shall come and all the g Iu de ver 14 15. Rev. 19.11 12 13 14 15 16. Saints with theâ— And it shall come to passe in that day that the light shall not be cleare nor darke but it shall be one day which shall be knowne to the Lord not day nor night but it shall come to passe that at evening time it shall be light And it shall be in that day that h Psal 46.4 Eze. 47.1 c. Ioel. 3.8 living waters shall goe out from Jerusalem halfe of them toward the former sea and halfe of them toward the hinder sea In Summer and in Winter shall it be and the Loâ—d shall be King over all the earth In that day shall there be one Lord and his Name one All the Land shall be turned as a plaine from Ceba to Rimmon South of Ierusalem and it shall be lifted up and inhabited in her pl ce from Benjamins gate unto the place of the first gate unto the corner gate and from the Tower of Hananiel unto the Kings wine-presses And men shall dwell in it and there shall be no more utter destruction but Ierusalem shall be safely inhabited Zech. 14.4 c. Mr. Petrie's Answer Christ said Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up againe Then said the Iewes Forty and sixe yeares was this Temple in building and wilt thou reare it up againe in three dayes but he spake of the Temple of his body saith the Evangelist Iohn 2.19 So the true Temple is Christs body which the Iewes destroyed and he raised it up againe and in this sense the Disciples did beleeve the Scriptures after the resurrection of Christ ver 22. And therefore the things spoken in these Scriptures are accomplished at his first comming not onely in heaven last on earth according to the different portions thereof In heaven and on earth I say and in true Ierusalem and on the true Throne of David for his feete stood in that day to wit when he went to receive the fuller accomplishment of his Kingdome on the Mount of Olives which is by Ierusalem on the East from which also he ascended and the Mount or Olives hath been cloven in the midst thereof toward the East and toward the Wâ—st when not onely the members of the Church but all the world was shaken at the powerfull preaching of the Gospell even more gloriously then at the giving of the Law Heb. 12.26 So that nothing could hinder the course thereof And the Iewes have fled to that valley of the mountaines when they did imbrace the Gospell which is low in worldly mens esteeme and of high esteeme before God And the valley of the mountaines hath reached unto Azal For the preaching of the Gospell hath been an excellent stone marke shewing the righ way as it is exponed 1 Sam. 20.19 on the margine of the late translation to the Kingdome of heaven Yea they have fled like as they did flee from before the earth quake in the dayes of Vzziâ—h King of Iudan to wit they have been astonished at the wonderfulnesse of Gods workes And the Lord hath come And so forth as it followes in Zach. 14. where he shewes the perpetuall light of the glorious Gospell ver 6 7. and the continuall flowing of the wholesome waters in the Kingdome of Christ ver 98. and the removing of all impediments for the security of the elects conversion and salvation You see here that our Saviour came not onely to conquer death which is the last enemy that he shall destroy and therefore not to be destroyed till the last resurrection but also to take the Kingdomes of the world unto himselfe and hath made them all acknowledge his authority and hath put downe all contrary power and authority for all Nations have praised Christ and given laud unto him Rom. 14.9 10.11 That there is one shepheard and one sheepfold that the Dominions Kingdomes and greatnesse of the Kingdomes under the whole Heaven have been possessed by the People and Saints of the most High that is as the Gospell hath exponed it by the faithfull Israel Rom. 14.12 bowbeit all hath not been possessed at the same period of time Reply Was ever scripture more apparently wrested more impertinently alledged Behold saith Zechariah the man whose name is the Branch and he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the Temple of the Lord even he shall build the Temple of the Lord c. chap. 6. ver 12. This is the prophecy and your interpretation this Christ said Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up againe c. John 2.19 And interpretation doubtlesse as wide from the sense of the Prophet as the Iewes apprehension was from the meaning of our Saviours words For shew us where the Temple of the Lord is in all the old Testament which was then all the scripture taken in any other sense then for the house of Gods worship at Ierusalem Or the building of the Temple of the Lord in any other sense then for the building of that Temple Yea looke but into the 14 and 15 verses immediately following and it is unquestionable that the same words are there taken for the Temple of the Lord in Ierusalem And besides seeing the Prophets shew so plainely that our Saviour shall
delivered then all this is in the texts which we have brought and can bring for it And therefore we both have and can prove by scripture even expresse scripture that the restored Ierusalem shall be the place of Christs Throne although it be beyond our power to make you acknowledge that we can and have proved it it being the pâ—culiar act of the Spirit of God to doe this of that Spirit I say whose apparent testimonies you so presumptuously resist and so lightly esteeme ISRAELS REDEMPTION CHAP. III. That the Kingdome of Israel and the thousand yeares reigne of the Saints shall concurre ANd thus even one prophecy of Zech. doth clearely unfold all that we averre touching our present subject to wit That our Saviour shall reigne on earth and in Jerusalem For as it tels us That the Lord shall be King over all the earth that in that day there shall be one Lord and his name one So it saith too that at the very instant of our Saviours descending All the Land shall by an earthquake be turned as a plaine from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem and it shall be lifted up and inhabited in her place from Benjamins gate unto the place of the first gate unto the corner gate and from the tower of Hananiel unto the Kings wine-presses c. Moreover another notable content of this prophecy is That when our Saviour comes to reigne over all the earth he comes not alone but brings all the Saints with him Mr. Petrie's Answer We see neither that be shall come to reigne after that manner over all the earth neither that he shall bring all his Saints with him and for this last point be alledges no text of scripture but will have it to be taken on his bare word which we refuse to doe We reade that when be shall come to judge he shall bring all the holy Angels with him Matth. 25.31 and all Nations shall be gathered before him and that be shall send his Angels to gather the elect from the foure winds but that they shall come with him into an earthly Monarchy we finde no where And neverthelesse as if it were unquestionable he addeth Reply Unlesse you had made a covenant with your tongue to deny every thing that we prove you could not have said That we alledge no text of scripture which shewes that Christ shall bring all the Saints with him For what is the meaning of these words Zech. 14.5 And the Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee Or what meanes Saint Paul when he saith 1 Cor. 15.23 Afterward they that are Christs at his comming doth he not meane that all the Saints departed shall then rise and can they rise in their bodies at Christs comming and yet not come then from heaven to be reunited to their bodies These tâ—xts we have alledged in exprâ—sse termes and do you take them for canonicall or apocrypha if for canonicall then surely your foresaid report of us is apocrypha And yet this is not all that we have to say touching this point for as you read Matth. 25.31 That Christ shall bring all the holy Angels with him so you may read too in 1 Thes 3.13 these words At the comming of our Lord Jesus with all the Saints And chap. 4.14 Them also that sleepe in Jesus will God bring with him And Jude ver 14. out of the prophecy of Enoch Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousands of his Saints And therefore that Christ shall bring all the Saints with him is not our bare word but the plaine word of God And so it is too that they shall come to reigne with him on earth as we have already proved and the texts following doe further declare And besides how can you choose but beleeve that Christ shall bring all the Saints with him though there were no expresse scripture for it seeing you beleâ—ve that all the dead shall rise at the same time surely you must either deny this or grant that Israel's Redemption Which words as they doe establish the literall sense of the r Luke 14.14 ch 20.35 36. Ioh. 6.39.40.44 54. Phil. 3.11 1 Thess 3.13 ch 4.14 c. Ezek. 37.12.13 fiâ—st resurrection mentioned in the 20 chap. of Rev. So they make the Kingdome of Israel and the 1000 yeares reigne of the Sainâ—s there spoken of to synchronize and meete together for why shall the Saints come with him but because they have a share in his Kingdome and are to be his assistants in it as he told the Disciples Luke 22.28 Mr. Petrie's Answer The first resurrection of bodies imports a second resurrection and so either these who rise shall dye againe and rise againe at the second resurrection or they who shall rise at the first shall not dye at all and others shall rise againe at the second resurrection This Authour makes it no where manifest which of these two be holdeth and Mr. Archer holdeth the first opinion but neither of them hath any warrant from Scripture and the testimonies that are cited here on the margine shew that there shall not be such a resurrection of the righteous for it is said Luke 20.35 They who shall be accounted worthy to obtaine that world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they dye any more for they are equall unto the Angels being the children of the resurrection If they can dye no more and be equall unto the Angels then they shall not rise at a second resurrection neither shall they live an earthly life which in the best degree is inferiour unto the life of the Angels John 6.39 This is the Fathers will that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day and ver 44. No man can come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him and I will raise him at the last day If the last day be the day of the generall judgement as certainely it is even supponing the temporall Monarchy for a 1000 yeares and the elect shâ—ll not be raised till the last day as these words imply then there shall not be a first and second resurrection unlesse the second resurrection be after the last day and consequently there not being a resurrection of the children of God till the last day the first resurrection mentioned Rev. 20. cannot be understood of the bodies but rather arising from sinne whereof mention is made Ephes 5.14 and Col. 3.1 He cites also Phil. 3.11 If by any meanes I might attaine unto the resurrection of the dead These words name the dead generally and make nothing for a first and second resurrection but ver 20. it is said Our conversation or freedome is in heaven whence also we look for the Saviour who shall change our vile body that it may be like unto his glorious body If the freedome POLITEVMA of the godly be in heaven then they expect not a
to be understood of a spirituall wrath doe indeed rather confirme then confute this exposition Seeing it is plaine that the Apostle in ver 28. speakes of such Jewes onely who for the Gentiles sakes that were to be received into their roome were become the enemies of the Gospell of Christ and consequently not of such on whom God had mercy or would have mercy any otherwise then in making of them instruments for the fulfilling of his promise made unto the Fathers touching that elect remnant of their posterity whom he purposed to call by a generall conversion Object 10 Tenthly you say That the estate of the Church is described such that the godly shall be mixed with the ungâ—dly even till Christ come and gather the tares from the wheat to be burned Matth. 13.39 Sol. 10 And surely we say not that Christ shall reigne on earth before he comes to doe this but when he comes to do this And therefore also his Kingdome for so he calls it ver 41. shall not be a Kingdome of such carnall delight as you to vilifie the truth ascribe unto it It being the onely scope of this parable and anonother in the same chapter to set forth the righteousnesse thereof Your last words are All these and such like passages the Millenaries willingly passe over But let the reader judge whether you have not more cause to be ashamed of such arguments then we have to be afraid to answer them Israel's Redemption And in my conceit Saint Peter in the very next verse doth intimate as much for having before used the word Day he warnes them not to be ignorant of this one thing That one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day As if he had told them that the day he spake of was indeed a thousand yeares the Holy Ghost alwayes using it in this sense when it is emphatically applied to our Saviours comming or the Jewes redemption Which as it is already proved shall happen at the same time And though God as he is eternall cannot be measured by time and as he is immutable feeles no alteration in time a thousand yea ten thousand times ten thousand yeares and one day houre or minute of a day being in this respect all one to him yet this shift cannot void the exposition already given seeing the apparent dependance of these words on the former doth clearely prove that Saint Peter intended not to shew what a thousand yeares and one day were to God in regard of his nature which it is like they knew before but only what is usually meant by one day in the word of God And indeed to what purpose had this sudden and serious advertisement been inferred if the Apostle did not hereby discover unto them besides the largest definite and limited acception of the word such a speciall relation of a thousand yeares to one day as cannot belong to any other number when as touching Gods immensity and immutability one day might as well have been compared with ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands or thousands as I said as with one thousand yeares Mr. Petrie's Answer Whatsoever be your conceit you may see that the Apostle hath another purpose there for ver 4. he telleth of scoffers jeering at the promise of Christs comming because all things continue as they were and so all things seeme to have subsisting in themselves he refutes this imagination and showes that the world both was made and continueth by the word of God who is able to destroy as sometimes he did and hath appointed a day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men Here he putteth the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men for that the scoffers say where is the promise of his comming so that at his comming he will judge and punish the ungodly which is contrary to the opinion of the Millenaries Then ver 8. he answereth to that opinion of delay saying One day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares He saith not one day is a thousand yeares as the Millenaries make the commentary shorter then the text but is as a thousand yeares and therefore here is no exposition but comparison as if he had said albeit a thousand yeares seeme a long time to us and so the world seemeth to have continued long yet it is not so with the Lord to whom all time is short or none And then he shewes the end why God delayeth that comming to wit in long-suffering toward men awaâ—ing the repentance of the last of them Whereby you see another meaning and another purpose even contrary to that conceit of the Millenaries The Apostle might have named many millions of yeares as one day in respect of Gods eternity but according to the usuall custome of speech he nameth a round great number for any number Reply You had no other shift to avoid the answering of my former answer but to call it a shift And here you have dealt no better with me then you have often done before to wit left out what was most unpleasing to your selfe and instructive to the read 〈◊〉 and made a flourish against the rest and yet all this will not serve your turne for first it is a manifest slander to say That Christs judging and punishing of the ungodly is contrary to the opinion of the Millenaries For doe not we say that the destruction of the Army in Armageddon is to be at our Saviours descending as it is plainely revealed Rev. 19. and alluded unto chap. 14. ver 19 20. and that there shall be then also a destruction of all obstinate and rebellious sinners as it is foretold in 2 Thes 1.7 8 9 10. and Rev. 16.20 21. and intimated in the parable of the tares and the net cast into the sea Matth. 13. and doe we not say likewise that when the new insurrection of the Nations shall be at the end of the 1000 yeares peacefull râ—igne fire shall come downe from God out of heaven and devoure them Rev. 20 And doe we not hold that all this shall be before the last act of the great day of the Lambes wrath in which the sentence of damnation shall be pronounced against all unbeleeving sinners at the last resurrection All this then being undeniable there can be no truth in your foresaid words And as in ver 5 6. the Apostle shewes the faithfull why the wicked should make a scoffe at the promise of Christs comming and in ver 9. gives them the reason of Gods putting off of his comming so long so in ver 8. hee makes no answer to the opinion of delay but puts them in minde of the meaning of the day of judgement spoken of in ver 7 which two verses doe seeme to be brought in by way of Parenthesis For though a 1000 yeares which seeme a long time to us be but a short time with the Lord as you say yet doubtlesse that which seemes a short time to us
cannot be a long time to the Lord. And therefore albeit the last part of Saint Peters reciprocall proposition may favour your interpretation yet the first part will not suffer it Seeing that which is but one day with us cannot possibly be as a thousand yeares with the Lord although the space of a thousand yeares with us may be but as one day with the Lord. And consequently the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one day in ver 7. must needes be meant of a propheticall day of a day consisting of yeares of so many yeares at least as the Apostle here speakes of and not of a naturall day of a day consisting of houres for how else should one day be with the Lord as a thousand yeares in regard of continuance of time And whereas you say That it is not said one day is a thousand yeares but is as a thousand yeares I pray what difference in sense is there betwixt these propositions certainely the adverbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as doth not alwayes intimate a comparison but hath divers acceptions amongst which Pasor reckons its denoting of the truth and certainty of a thing for one And when it is used comparatively it doth include an exposition also as it were easie to prove by many instances and we need looke no further then the 10 verse of this chapter for an instance But the day of the Lord will come saith the Apostle as a thiefe in the night here the comparing of it to the comming of a thiefe doth shew that as it is unknowne to all so it is unexpected too of the ungodly on whom it shall come as a thiefe in the night that is altogether unlookt for and to whom also it shall be as the comming of a thiefe in the night that is fearefull unavoidable and full of horrour and amazement And thus it is evident that our exposition of ver 7. is the onely adequate and full exposition of the Apostles words and that yours is but a defective and partiall exposition of it Israel's Redemption This then being so I see not but that Gods fore-appointment of a thousand yeares continuance to the world for * Sicut e septenis annis septimus quisque annus remissionis est it 〈◊〉 e septem millibus annorum mundi septimus millenarius millenarius remissionis est R. Ketina Vid. Com. Apoc. par 2. pag. 287. each severall day of its first weeke the weeke of its creation might in all likelihood be the ground of this propheticall sense of the word Day wherein it was afterwards delivered by the infallible Pen-men of holy writ Mr. Petrie's Answer The certainty of all the appointments of God we acknowledge and the infallibility of his pen-men but where is it revealed that God hath appointed a thousand years continuance to the world for each severall day of the first weeke On the margine he cireth Rab. Ketina comment Apoca. par 2. p. 287. where are some testimonies in the Rabbines to this purpose Let Jewes follow Jewish fables to us Christians hath God spoken in the last dayes by his Sonne Heb. 1.2 whom he hath bidden us heare Certainely with a limitation to heare none others Reply I do not say it is revealed in Scripture that God hath appointed unto the world a thousand yeares continuance for each severall day of its first weeke but that Gods fore-appointment of so many thousands of yeares continuance unto the world might happily be the ground of this propheticall sense of the word Day in the scriptures Which space of time it doth comprehend whensoever it is emphatically applyed to the time of our Saviours appearing or the Jewes redemption as Isai 11.11 chap. 27.12 13. and Amos 9.11 and 2 Thes 1.10 and 2 Tim. 4.8 doe testifie And these texts in which it hath the epithet great annext to it Joel 2.31 Mal. 4.5 Jude ver 6. Rev. 6.17 chap. 16.14 And the learned doe so understand the word Day too in Gods threatning to Adam Gen. 2.17 because that threatning must needes be meant of a punishment that should come on Adam for his disobedience and consequently of a bodily death which yet he suffered not till neere nine hundred and thirty yeers after And thus it is manifest that we take this word in no other sense then the Prophets doe to whom God spake by his Spirit in time past or then the Apostles doe to whom God spake by his Sonne first and by his Spirit afterwards or then God did as many learned Divines acknowledge in the foresaid passage to Adam And therefore we borrow it not from the Jewish sables although we will not reject any truth that the Jewes hold for feare of being upbraided with their sables or with the name of Jewes But what I so much out of charity with the Jewes now Is not this the Name whose mysticall interpretation hath stood you in such stead in the wresting of the prophecies which concerne them by Name and none else and did you not say pag. 16. that the faithfull are called Jewes not onely typically but likewise for the speciall comfort of the Jewes How did you dare then so boldly to abuse that Name by which you say the faithfull are so frequently â—iled in Scripture And what comfort can it be to the Jewes that you lay claime to this Name in the scriptures where it belongs not to you that you seeme to take delight in it there and yet in your writings and common discourse use it as a by-word and terme of reproach or how can we thinke that you apply the prophecies touching the Jewes to the Christians for any other reason but because you thinke such great and glorious mercies too good for the Jewes how I say can we thinke otherwise when as we see they are so odious unto you that in meere scorne and derision of the truth we hold you call us Jewes by way of opposition to Christians I pray remember what our Saviour is as man is he not a Jew me thinkes then if â—â—ought else could yet the reverence you owe to him should have with held you from such an uncivill usage of this Name Israel's Redemption To this also may be added that iâ— Matth. 24.31 which shewes that when the Sonne of man desâ—ends He shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the foure windes from one end of the heaven to the other at which time two shall be in the field the one shall be taken and the other left two women shall be grinding at the Mill the one shall be taken and the other left and as Saint Marke record two men shall be in one bâ—d 〈◊〉 one shall be taken and the other left chap. 17.34 But if our Saviour at his comming shall presently give â—â—ntence on all that are not writteâ— in the Booke of life if he shall make no stay on earth before he undertake this businesse then why shall the
of thâ—se Nations when this Gog and Magog is destroyed shall be the Gog and Magog foretold in Rev. 20. to arise when the thousand yeares peacefull reigne is finished Whereby it is manifest that against your owne knowledge you have misreported the evidence of my reasons and charged me with a contradiction of your owne devising And as it is very false that I am in this point contrary to my selfe so it is as false that I am herein contrary to Clavis Apocal. For the fourth synchronisme of the 2 part doth infallibly prove that the Army of the Nations mentioned Revel 20. is to be a distinct Army from that in Rev. 16. whose destruction is revealed chap. 19. The words inferred upon the second argument of this synchronisme pag. 26. are these Marke here reader the chronicall character by which it is intimated that this whatsoever it is concerning Satan being taken and condemned after his second loosing it succeedeth the vision of the former chapter concerning the Beast and false Prophet being vanquished taâ—en and thereupon cast into the lake burning with fire and brimstone by him which sate upon the white horse as in order of narration so also in the time of the thing done For otherwise it should not have been said that Satan was sent thither where both the Beast and false Prophet were except both the Beast and false Prophet had been sent thither first Neither can any man of judgement say by way of evasion that this warre of chap. 20. after a thousand yeares is not different from that of the former chapter when as not onely the character already brought but also all circumstances on both sides are repugnant the parties the battell and the manner of the slaughter there with the sword herewith fire yea and the event of either warre unlike as anon the matter being demonstrated shall be made plaine there the binding of Satan onely for a time but here a condemnation to eternall fire c. And Clav. Apocal. in part 1. synchro 7. doth speake nothing of the Gog and Magog in Rev. 20. but of the utter destruction of the Beast and Babylon at the effusion of the last viall Israel's Redemption And to this conjecture Isai 27.12 doth sufficiently confirme For the great sound of the Trumpet before spoken of in Saint Matthew as a warning of the gathering together of the elect is there said to be a warning also of the Jewes returne the words are these It shall come to passe in that Day that the Lord shall beate off from the channell of the river unto the streame of Egypt and ye shall be gathered one by one O ye children of Israel and it shall come to passe in that day that the z Isaâ— 18.3 Zech. 9.11 great Trumpet shall be blowne and they shall come which were ready to perish in the Land of Assyria and the outcasts in the Land of Egypt and shall worship the Lord in the holy Mount at Jerusalem Mr. Petrie's Answer If this be a conjecture how is it sufficiently confirmed by the Prophet or if it be sufficiently confirmed why is it called a conjecture A conjecture it is and hath no warrant from the Prophet for the Prophet and Evangelist are not speaking of the same purpose the Prophet is speaking particularly of the Jewes deliverance out of Syria and Egypt and of the tâ—umpet that did sound at the proclamation of Cyrus for their returne which was past before the dayes of the Evangelist And neverthelesse our Authour concludeth triumphantly Reply And why may not a conjecture be as well confirmed by scripture as grounded on scripture yea whence can such a conjecture have a better confirmation then from scripture And that this conjecture to wit That some of them who are left when the elect shall be gathered together at Christs comming shall be left to perish in the great destruction which shall then light on all Nations that sight against the Jewes and others of them to be eye-witnesses of Gods wonders at that time that this conjecture I say is warranted by the Prophecy of Isaiah touching the Jewes returne chap. 27. ver 12 13. it is evident first from the identity of the signe which is to precede the accomplishment of this Prophecy and that of our Saviour Matth. 24.31 For what is the great sound of the trumpet mentioned by the Evangelist but the blowing of the great trumpet foretold in Isaiah And secondly it is evident from the contents of the prophecy which speake not of the returne of the two Tribes of the returne of the captivity of Judah and Benjamin from Babylon but of the returne of the ten Tribes of the returne of the captivity of the children of Israel from Assyria who as Divines confesse did never yet returne And admit it had been spoken of the returne of the two Tribes yet it could not be already accomplished because it foreshewes the returne of the Jewes out of Assyria in a time when they shall be ready to perish there which cannot be affirmed of the Jewes that returned to Jerusalem upon the proclamation of Cyrus by whom they were so much favoured And by whose command the Jewes that returned were so much enricht with silves and gold with goods and with beasts c. as it is written Ezra 1.4 And although it be true that Cyrus made a Proclamation throughout all his Kingdome for the returning of the Jewes yet we â—eade not of the sounding of any trumpet at the proclamation And if it had been a custome to doe so not one but many trumpets doubtlesse had been sounded at the publishing of that proclamation which was by many messengers sent into all the Provinces of Cyrus Kingdome to whom God had given all the Kingdomes of the earth Ezra 1.2 And lastly this Prophecy doth intimate a gathering and bringing of the Israelites to Ierusalem by the extraordinary power of God A gathering of them I say not by the helpe and assistance but against the will and resistance of earthly Princes as is plainely foretold Zech. 9.12 13.14 15 16. and in many other Prophecies And seeing we have alledged so many cleare prophecies for the vindication of the truth we hold why may we not say as the Apostle doth Heb. 12.1 after that he hath by divers instances set forth the force and efficacy of a justifying faith to wit that we are compast about with a great cloud of witnesses of which surely every single prophecy as it is of it selfe sufficient so it ought to give satisfaction to a Christian who is as well bound to manifest his obedience towards God by the readinesse of his beliefe as by the righteousnesse of his life By his confiding on the accomplishment of Gods prophecies as by his conforming to the practise of Gods precepts as it is said 1 John 3.23 Israel's Redemption And thus being thrâ—ughly satisfied by this cloud of witnesses the double Jury of Prophets and Apostles with which I find the doctrine of
shall cast them alive into the lake of fire And therefore your application of the story of Ziseah's drumme to this argument is a very ridiculous answer The third argument But most of all clearely in chap. 11. ver 15 16. c. where at the sound of the seventh trumpet the dayes of the witnesses and the mouthes of the Beast and Nations being out-runne were great voices in heaven saying The Kingdomes of the world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord c. This is the consummation of the mystery of God foretold by the Prophets Mr. Petrie's Answer This indeed is the consummation of all the promises foretold by the Prophets and Apostles and therefore it is not to be understood of any earthly Kingdome seeing thâ—â—full accomplishment of the prophecies is not on earth And so this synchronisme being false and the like synchronismes and all expositions following upon them must faile with it Reply This argument shewes that the Kingdomes of this world are to become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ at the sounding of the seventh trumpet and not before That is at the time of our Saviours descending from heaven at which time the reigne of the beast shal end And consequently it provs first that this reigne of Christ must needes follow the reigne of the beast seeing it beginnes not till his appearing by which the Beast shall be utterly destroyed And secondly it proves that this reigne must needes be on earth seeing the Kingdomes which shall then become his are the Kingdomes of this world And thirdly it proves that the time in which these Kingdomes shall become Christs cannot possibly be the time in which he shall deliver up his Kingdome to the Fathers seeing they shall then cease to be his And so the time of our Saviours reigne over them must needes be the interim the time betwixt the reigne of the Beast and the delivering up of his Kingdome to the Father To these consequences you had nothing to say and therefore you catch at these words which follow the argument to wit This is the consummation of the mystery of God foretold by the Prophets which you thus pervert This indeed is the consummation of all the promises foretold by the Prophets and Apostles and therefore it is not to be understood of any earthly Kingdome But surely as the mystery of God foretold by the Prophets and recorded chap. 10. ver 7. is meant onely of Christs reigne on earth at his next appearing when the Kingdomes of this world are to become his so you can shew us no promise either in the writings of the Prophets or Apostles which after the resurrection of mens bodies is to be enjoyed by them in heaven in your sense that is in a place of glory separate from the earth For as the raised Saints that are to come with Christ shall be on this earth all the time of his reigne so at the delivering up of his Kingdome to the Father the whole number of the elect shall be with him in the new Jerusalem which is the Paradise of God on the new earth whither it shall then descend And so this synchronisme being true all the like synchronismes and all expositions following upon them must be true also The Authors Judgement of the Contents of the Trumpets and Vials which he commends to the serious consideration of every intelligent READER THat the plagues of the vials should be literally and properly interpreted and not figuratively and mystically Revel 16. these reasons doe in my conceit require 1. Because there is no necessity of interpreting them otherwise 2. Because God hath already shewed many such wonders as the vials speake of 3. Because the last plague is properly to be understood and we may not take one plague properly and the rest improperly 4. Because the powring out of all the vialls shall not take up so much time as the mysticall sense of them doth allow to the powring out of one of them For 1. We finde that on the same persons on which the first viall the plague of the noysouâ—e sore is powred on the same the sift viall is powred For ver 10 11. it is said And they gnawed their tongues for paine and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their paines and their sores And at the powring out of the fourth viall also ver 9. it is said And men were scorched with great beat and blasphemed the Name of God wich ba h power over these plagues c. not over this plague whereby it is intimated That the men who were to feele the fourth plague were to feele more of the plagues besides that And it is very likely that the same persons may live to be the objects of all these plagues For 2. The vials are not to be powred out till after the Jewes conversion whose returne to their countrey is apparently exprest at the powring out of the sixt viall they being the Kings of the East that are to passe dry shod over Euphrates as the comparing of the 12 verse with the latter part of the 11 chapter of Isaiah doth prove And whose full deliverance from all their enemies is plainely revealed in the extraordinary destruction of the Armies in Armageddon at the powring out of the last viall the time of our Saviours descending as the â—9 chapter doth evince For what are the Armies of the Beast and of the Kings of the earth against which our Saviour is there said to descend but the Armies of the Beast and of the Kings of the earth which here are said to be gathered into Armageddon And indeed who can thinke that God who shewed such great signes and wonders at the deliverance of his people out of Egypt from the slavery of that one Nation will not shew as great wonders as those yea as great as any the vials or trumpets doe containe at their redemption from their captivity in all countreys And as for the plagues of the Trumpets it is manifest from the Text Rev. 7.8 9. c. That they were not to be powred out till after the sealing of the 144000 of all the Tribes of Israel Which if it be understood of the generall conversion of the Jewes as many learned Expositours understand it it is cleare That the things contained in the Trumpets are not yet begunne and consequently that they are literally to be taken also Now that the 12 Tribes of Israel there are to be properly understood these reasons doe evince 1. Because there is no necessity to interpret them otherwise 2. Because the 12 Tribes of Israel cannot in the same place be taken both properly improperly Properly for them that are to be saved of all the Tribes of Israel and improperly for them that are to be saved of all other Nations 3. Because it is not probable that by one Nation by the 12 Tribes of Israel all Nations and kindreds and people and tongues should be meant Or that Saint John knew
the children of Israel here comprehending all such Israelites as were then departed or should afterwards depart in the true faith of Christ before the casting off of that Nation before the giving of it up to a generall captivity and infidelity and the receiving of the Gentiles in their stead and the remnant of his brethren comprehending all the faithfull Israelites whose conversion is presently to follow the accomplisht conversion of the substituted Gentiles And besides seeing the Babylonish captivity whither the Jews were carried away captives for their idolatry is foretold in the 4. Ch at the 9. and 10. ver why should we think that here again the same captivity is threatned and not rather as some Expositors say their captivity by the Romans for crucifying their Sâ— ioâ—r with the story of whose vile usage amongst the nâ—tâ— words of the Prophet do so punctually agree For the â—hall smite the Juâ—â—e of Israel with a â—od upon the cheek saith Mâ—â—h v. 1 And whâ—â— tâ—ey had blindfolded him they stroke him on the face and asked him saying prophesie who is it that smâ—te thee saith Luke 22. v. 64. which words you have craftily conceal'd and the words of St. Paul also Rom. 11. v. 25. alledged to shew that by She which travaileth is meant the calling of the substituted Gentiles And yet for all this as if all were plain on your side and nothing so on ours you can boldly conclude therefore this Exposition not agreeing with the text all that follows upon it hath no ground in the text Of which now the matter hath been pleaded on by both let the indifferent judge Israel's Redemption And this the next verse doth confirm which tels us that at the time of this return He that is the Judge of Israel before spoken of that he I say shall stand and feed or rule in the strength of the Lord in the Majestie of the Name of the Lord his God and they that is the Jews shall abide for now that is at this coming of our Saviour be shall be not as when he took our nature upon him of no form a Isa 53.2 3. nor comlinesse a man despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs but he shal be b Zech. 9.10 Psal 72.8 great unto the ends of the earth that is over all the world untill he and his shall at the last judgement exchange the earthly Jerusalem the Throne c Jer. 3.17 Ch. 14.21 of his Kingdom which is to be d Jer. 31.38 built again by men for that e Rev. 21. empireall Jerusalem not made with hands eternall in the heavens Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. He is the ruler of Israel mentioned ver 2. and not the Judge mentioned v. 1.2 They are not the Jews but rather the brethren of whose return he spake in the words immediately preceding 3. Now signifieth not the time of Christ's second coming but the time of the abiding or of the Christians constant persevering in the faith And in this sense is our Saviour great over all the world seeing all the Centiles praise him and all people do land him as it is written Rom. 13.10 11. But at his second coming men shall not build a throne to him but he shall judge the quick and the dead 2 Tim. 4.1 Reply 1. He is both the Ruler mention'd in the 2. vers and the Judge mention'd in the 1. ver and therefore call'd the Judge of Israel and not of Judah or Jerusalem because Israel comprehends all the Tribes which in the time of our Saviour's reign are again to be reunited As Isaiah Jeremiah and Ezekiel do shew 2. They are the Jews and so are the remnant of his brethren whose return is mention'd in the words immediately foregoing For the beleeving Gentiles can neither be said to return to the faith which the Nations of whom they came never had Nor in respect of their faith to the Israelites to whom they had before no relation And their abiding is meant of the place where they should dwell from whence they should be no more remov'd as in former times and not of the perseverance of faith in any from which no true beleever hath ever been remov'd 3. Now is apply'd here to the time in which Christ shall be great unto the ends of the earth that is both known fear'd and obey'd over all the earth and so signifieth the time after his second coming and not the time that now is in which he is acknowledged but of a few Nations and amongst them too fear'd and obey'd by a very small company And yet you can tell us without blushing that he is already great over all the world seeing all the Gentiles praise him and all people do land him What Turks Arabians Chinois and heathens of America I pray apply the Scriptures more pertinently For St. Paul did not alledge those prophecies touching the Gentiles Ch. 15. v. 10 11. to shew that all Gentiles did praise God when he wrote that Epistle or that they should do so at any time before Christ should come to reign over both Jews and Gentiles too but to shew that God had as well appointed Christ to be a Saviour to the Gentiles as to the Jews that so he might move them both to agree the better together and to bear with the infirmities of each other and to receive one another as Christ had received them to the glory of God in suffering for both and in sending the Gospel to be preacht indifferently to both And whereas you say that at Christs second coming men shall not build a Throne to him but he shall judge the quick and the dead I say that as well the first as the last must be done And for the building of Jerusalem see Jer. 31. v. 38. c. and Ezek. 48. v. 15.30 c. and Zech. 14. v. 10 11. and then hear also what Jer. hath said Ch. 3. v. 17. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord and all the Nations shall be gathered unto it to the Name of the Lord to Jerusalem neither shall they walke any more after the imagination of their evil heart c. and therefore surely more must be done by Christ at his second comming then you meane by the judging of the quicke and the dead Israel's Redemption Another prophecy much like unto this is that of Amos in his 9. chap. at the 8. verse Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinfull Kingdom and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob saith the Lord. For loe I will command and I will fift the house of Israel among all Nations like as corne is sifted with a seive yet shall not the least graine fall upon the earth And at the 11. verse In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and
expound in any degree the Prophecies of the Iewes in Ezek. Hosea or any other Prophet Israel's Redemption And therefore I should rather take it to be brought in by St. Paul as a testimony establishing the freenesse of Gods election which is the Doctrine he there maintaines and doth in these words as he did before in the example of Jacob and Esau give an instance of it touching the Israelites whom God had for a long time rejected and would yet again receive and that because as the Potter hath power over the clay to make of the same lump one vessel to honour and another to dishonour so He hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. This subterfuge will not serve for he saith in the preceding page that the Prophecie Hosea 1. is meant of the Jewes and if that be true which I have proved to be false it is not meant of the Israelites 2. The Apostle verse 24. is speaking expressely of the Faithfull not of the Jewes onely but also of the Gentiles and hitherto be useth that testimony of Hosea 3. Of the Gentiles doth he expone the same testimonies in other texts where he is not speaking of election nor of the freenesse thereof as 2. Cor. 6.16 Reply 1. In the preceding page I have said that the Prophecie Hos 1. is meant onely of the Jewes and if that be true say you it is not meant of the Israelites O rare criticisme O profound subtletie Jewes are not Israelites and Israelites are not Jewes But surely if it be meant of the one it must needs be meant of the other for they are both the names of the same people and the Apostle calls them by both in the 9. chap. of the Rom. ver 4. and 24. Yea they are indifferently us'd one for the other in the last part of your former Answer for as the Israelites by Idolatry became like unto the Gentiles so say you the Gentiles receiving the Gospel are Jewes So readie are you to censure that for an errour in another which you allow for a truth when spoken by your selfe 2. 'T is true that the Apostle speakes expressely of the Jewes and Gentiles in the 24. verse but it is not true that hitherto be useth the testimony of Hosea for the 24. ver hath relation onely to the preceding verse and not to that which followeth so that it is as if the Apostle had said And that 〈◊〉 might make knowne the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy even on us as on a part of them which he had afore prepared unto glory and hath now called not of the Jewes onely but also of the Gentiles For the 19 20 21 22 23 and 24. verses are brought in by way of digression to satisfie such as might from the discourse of the freenesse of Gods election be readie to dispute against his Justice and at the 25. v. he returnes againe to confirme this Doctrine partly by other Scriptures in Hosea and Isaiah which shew Gods eternall purpose in passing by some and receiving others of the Israelites and partly by Gods receiving the Gentiles even in the time of his passing by the Israelites as the 30 31 32 and 33. verses doe manifest 3. You said before that the words alledg'd in the 2 Cor. 6. chap. at the 16. ver I will dwell in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people were taken out of Ezek. chap. 37. ver 27. and are they now taken out of Hosea too but what is it that you will not say to make a shew of answering and to puzzle the unlearned Reader for the Apostle neither mentions Ezek. nor Hos and t is most likely that he tooke these words out of the 26. chap. of Levit. at the 13. ver as I have said and he makes no other use of them but to shew that the faithfull Corinthians were become Gods people and therefore should no longer yoke themselves with the servants of Belial either in the observance of their Idolatrous Feasts and pastimes or in any extraordinary familiarity Israel's Redemption And this the 14. verse seemes to confirme where it is said Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel For what makes the copulative also here if the Apostle understood not the former Prophecie of Israel as well as this And yet in what sense soever you please to take it here I hope it is already sufficiently declared that it concernes the Israelites onely in the Prophet which is as much as the subject of my discourse requires Mr. Petrie's Answer The copulative knitteth the testimonies and shewes that they must both be understood of these people ver 24. this is yet more cleared by the 30. ver what shall we say then that the Gentiles who followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse but Israel who followed after the Law of righteousnesse hath not attained There it is manifest that he speaks of the Gentiles attaining to righteousnesse and of Israel not attaining it and neverthelesse the opposition is not simply of the two people but of their seeking righteousnesse two contrary wayes to wit by Faith and by workes of the Law And now ye see it sufficiently declar'd that these Prophecies doe not belong unto the Jewes or Israelites onely Reply The copulative knitteth the testimonies and shewes that the testimonies of Hosea must be understood of the Israelites as well as the testimonies of Isaiah and if these are not properly to be understood why saith the Apostle Isaiah also cryeth concerning Israel and not rather concerning the Gentiles or the Nations And this is fully cleared by the 30. and 31. verses where the Gentiles and Israel are plainly oppos'd and that that passage is inferr'd upon the former Prophecies of Hosea and Isaiah these words in the 30. verse immediately following them What shall we say then doe clearely shew and therefore those Prophecies must needs be understood of the Jewes onely And if this be not enough consider also what the Apostle saith in the 3. and 4. verses of the same chapter I could wish saith he that my selfe were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh who are Israelites where as he shewes his great heavinesse for them because they were cast off so in the following dispute about the freenesse of Gods election he alledgeth those Scriptures which doe foreshew their passing by and receiving againe and therefore if we know who those Israelites are that are St. Paul's brethren according to the flesh we need not doubt what Israelites Hosea and Isaiah speake of Israel's Redemption There is yet in the 3. ch of Hosea at the 4. v. one more materiall Argument for the Jewes deliverance The children of Israel saith he shall abide many dayes without a King without a Prince without a sacrifice and without an image and without an Ephod and without Teraphim afterwards shall the children of Israel return and seek the