other reformation ought to be expected The Antecedent may be proved from hence because the Doctrine of the Fundamentalls of our Salvation is proposed so that it cannot be done more cleerly or with greater light Answ. The great Reformation which we declare shall come to passe shall concerne matter of Life as well as Doctrine As for matter of Doctrine the foundation thereof shall remain But as for those infinite contentions whereby the Body of Christ is torn in pieces an end shall be put unto them Again many places of Scripture whose expositions have hitherto troubled the most learned men shall more cleerly and better be understood As for matter of life what should I say The matter it selfe speaks loud enough that in the whole course of our lives as good and as great as we are we have little or no Divinity at all There is great need therefore of a Reformation XXXVI Object It was an ancient Distinction that the kingdome of God is either of Power Grace or Glery But this Distinction is taken away by this Millenary so much pleaded for because it cannot be referred either to the Kingdom of Grace or to the Kingdome of Glory Answ. It belongs to the Kingdome of Grace which doth consist of divers degrees Neither is this opinion any way prejudiced because in the former discourse I have sometimes made mention of glory and Majesty as part of the happinesse of this Millenary For this glory is only inchoative or in it's beginning and shall be broken off by the War of Gog and Magog But the Glory of the Life Eternall is perfect and never at all to be interrupted V. The Doctrines arising out of this Chapter 1. According to the Order of the Heads in the Catechisms I. THe XI and XII Articles of the Creed concerning the resurrection of the flesh as also concerning the last Iudgement and eternall life are treated of II. The first and third precepts of the Decalogue or Tenne Commandments are here illustrated in the 4 verse where mention is made of Godly Confessors who worshipped not the Image of the Beast III. The second and sixth Petitions of the Lords Prayer may be explained out of this Chapter 2. According to the Order of Common-places This Chapter makes mention of Gods Providence of Angels of Predestination of the Church and it 's enemies of Martyrdome of the Resurrection of the flesh of the last Iudgement of Life and Death Eternall 3. Doctrines out of the severall Verses Vers. 1. 1. God instructeth men sometimes and teacheth them extraordinarily by Visions as also by divine Extasies or Raptures 2. The Angels are ministring Spritis who receive their commands at God's hands 3. Good Angels are endowed with great power and strength Vers. 2. 1. Good Angels have power over evill Angels or Spirits 2. The Devill is stronge and crafty as being both a Dragon and a Serpent 3. The onely and continuall work of the Devill is to calumniate and falsly accuse both God and Man and to endeavour the hinderance of the Glory of the one and the Salvation of the other 4. The Militant Church hath severall and differing times here on earth namely both of oppression and refreshment after the divers degrees thereof according to the dispensation and good pleasure of God Vers. 3. 1. The Devill is bound and tyed up by the reines of God's Providence 2. The Devill is the author of the generall seduction of mankinde 3. Warres shall cease for a thousand years 4. The Warre which shall begin after these thousand yeers shall not last long Vers. 4. 1. Christ is a Iudge appointed by God to whom the holy Angels are joyned as Assessors or inferiour Iudges 2. The Professors of the Gospel are hated in the sight of the world 3. Constancy is required in the Profession of the Truth 4. They are Idolators who worship Antichrist and follow his doctrine 5 The Martyrs shall reign with Christ for a thousand years in the Militant Church Vers. 5. 1. The generall resurrection shall be in the end of the world 2. The first resurrection and particular of the Martyrs is the proeme unto the second or universall resurrection Vers. 6. 1. As the children of God in this life have one above another prerogatives of gifts works and sufferings so shall they also have prerogatives of blessings both in this life and in that also which shall be hereafter 2. The common happpnesse of the godly among other things consists in this that the second death hath no power over them 3. We must certainly resolve that there is a second or eternall Death 4. Though all Christians are Kings and Priests yet in a morâ— speciall manner the Martyrs raised at the beginning of these thousand years shall be Kings and Priests in the Militant Church Vers. 7. 1. The happynesse of the Church which shall continue for theâ—â—thousand years must not be confounded withâ— or mistaken for the happynesse of life eternall 2. Satan can do nothing except by Gods leave he be let loose out of his prison 3. God alone can restrain Satan as if he had him shut up in some prison Vers. 8. 1. Satan when soever he gains power playes over his old pranks again 2. Satan is delighted with the shedding of mans bloud especially of the Godly and therefore useth to seduce and entice men to Warre 3. Whatsoever is said in the Old Testament of Gog and Magog is to be understood partly literally partly typically 4. The Enemies of the Church are in number many Vers. 9. 1. Men seduced by the Devill set slip no occasion so watchfull herein they are of persecuting the Godly 2. The Churâ—h is the beloved City of God 3. It is the duty of Christians continually to be exercised in Christ's warfare 4. God executes wonderfull judgements against the enemies of his Church Vers. 10. 1. The Devill and his Instruments are cast into Hell and shall be tormented there for ever 2. Eternity is nothing else then a continuation of Age to Age for ever 3. Hell is a place full of horrour Vers. 11. 1. The Mâ—jesty of Christ coming to Iudgement shall be very great 2. Heaven and Earth in the day of the last Judgement shall passe away in respect of the fashion of this world Vers. 12. and 13. 1. The last resurrection shall be universall 2. Men in the last Judgement shall be judged according to their works 3. The Conscience of a man is like a book in which all his thoughts words and deeds are as it were set down 4. The book of life or Predestination shall be opened in the last Judgement for then shall it appear plainly who are the Elect and who the reprobate who have truely beleeved in Christ who hypocritically who have truely worshipped God who according to appearance onely 5. The last Judgement shall be universall infallible and just Vniversall because it shall be of the dead and living of great and small Infallible because God is all-knowing and hath
can never be able to stand in competition with the holy Word of God and the * sound and undeniable doctrine thereof Such is alwaies my temper and moderation that if by * one conviction thou demonstrate my error much more it the CHVRCH shall interpose her judgement whether it be in matter of opinion or action I will retract the one and relinquish the other And till thou dost this in the matter which we have in hand be not offended if I stand close by my Author but especially to reason and plaine Scripture it selfe alleaged by him Truth it is the onely thing I seâ—ke after for the puâ—â—uiâ— of which no man ought to be blame any more then they are to be execused who wilfully continue in known error and ignorance By the way then good Reader let me tell thee what credit soever I gaine from thee that it was the constant opinion of the Church in the very next age to the Apostles that there should be a resurrection before the generall rising at the last day and an happy condition of the faithfull upon earth for CIO yeeres This we may learne from a Tertullias and b Irenaeus And c Iustin the Martyr who of a Philosopher became a Christian some xxx yeeres after the death of Iohn the Evangelist and Penman of this holy Prophecy tels us plainly that not only himselfe but what d Christian soever in his time were in all respects Orthodox maintained the same grounding their opinion upon these words of Esay * Behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into my mind But be glad and rejoyce for ever in thâ—t which I create I know not whether so great a testimony as this of Iustin Martyrs may be brought concerning any opinion among Christians if you expect the maine articles of our Beliefe And the generall consent of all the orthodox and in the age too next the Apostles is no small argument or prejudice against the contrary opinion or succeeding ages It seemed the Heretiques of those times especially or indeed onely beleeved it not and that for some private respect because admitting thereof they must needs also confesse a resurrection of the flesh and that the same God who was mentioned in the Law and Prophets is also the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ I am sure Cerinthus that Arch Heretique in those daies whom the after-ages do make the first e broacher of this opinion and they would also have him the Author of the f Revelation is never taxed for it by them g who have diligently noted his heresies And perhaps if he had any sensuall conceit hereabout as it seemes he had he was beholding to Judaisme for it and he himselfe being a Iew it was not taken notice of in him But for a Christian to have any such doting imaginations would render him more wild-headed and besides himselfe in sober mens judgements then any Poet of Dithyrambique verse Yet no man ought to be blamed for maintaining a Truth in a Iewes company either in this matter or in any else if with heed he passe by those grosse fancies and stupid absurdities which doe infatuate and blemish the same truth More deservedly may we finde fault with Dionysius of Alexandria and his followers the great impugners of this opinion who when about the end of the third age the dispute about it grew very hot to lessen the authority of the Revelation by the evident and undeniable proofes whereof the matter in question was asserted O foule shame and impiety they fathered it upon I know not whom yet one of the same name against the manifest witnesse of h Iustin Martyr Irenaeus and all the Fathers before them who inscribâ— it to Iohn the beloved Disciple of Christ and Evangelist Neither can Hierome himselfe be exâ—used though a very learned man otherwise but easie to be deceived who with the same Dionysius doth upon an uncertaine report falsâ—ly affix to the opinion of them who according to truth beleeved the thousand yeeres happinesse on earth the i injury of Circumcision the blood of Sacrifices and rest duratiâ—n of all the ceremonies of the Law Which old pieces and rags of Indaisme or perhaps the dreames of some Heretiques being gathered out of a study of contention and ill will were patched to this opinion of the Primitive Church But if he certainely knew that the first Christians and holy Martyrs did expect Circumcision and Sacrifices in the Kingdome of Christ how is he to be blamed that condemned them not for it but k left every man to the freedome of his owne judgement either to approve or dislike thereof But what countenance soever this opinion hath or shall finde in this age let me tell thee this one thing Reader which I will leave to be considered of by thee that seeing there are so manifest proofes of a glorious Kingdome of the Saints here on earth out of the old Testament there will be no better or easier way to deale with the Iewes in matter of their conversion then not to wrest the plaine prophecies of a second and glorious appearance of Christ to his first comming but rather to perswade them that they must expect no other Messias who should fulfill all these promises expecting what is to be expected for we are not herein wholly to agree with the Iewes but to examine all things according to the rules of Christian faith besides that Iesus of Nazareth whom their Ancestors crucified And this way is every where almost through the whole Revelation diligently insisted upon For whilst we force those most cleare prophecies concerning things promised in the second to his first comming the Iewes scorne and deride us and are more and more confirmed in their infidelity But for the cours which I have here set downe I am much mistaken if it be not the same which was observed among them by Peter himselfe Act. 3.19 20 21. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you Whom the Heaven must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the â—â—uth of all his holy Prophets since the World began But I forget my selfe For indeed I thinke it more fit to set downe and publish what might be safely and piously beleeved concerning this Teneâ— rather in another mans sense and expressions then in mine owne being more willing l modestly to learne and be instructed from the abilities of others then impudently to obtrude mine owne weaknesses upon the world And to this end I have also collected what some of the most eminent Divines of the Church of England Dr. Hakewill Dr. Twisse Mr. Mede c. that thou mightest not thinke it onely an outlandish toy or a
20â—â— chapter being accomplished As if he should say Hitherto I have seen and declared the estate of the Church Militant and beginning to triumph in the last Judgement Now followeth the Vision and Declaration of the state of the whole Church going on in it's progresse of Triumph in life eternall The third Argument is from the often repetition of those words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a thousand years and withall the addition of the Article {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the or those thousand years whereof the former is once onely used the latter four times from the 2 verse to the 8. which repetition argues that these words are to be understood Historically and according to the letter except you had rather say that Iohn is a * babler or a vain repeater of the same words needlesly again and again The fourth Argument is from the comparing of this Vision with the History of what hath hitherto happened For it cannot be proved out of any History That those things which were treated of in this Prophesie have yet come to passe For as yet the Dâ—vill was never so bound for a thousand years as that he was cast into a bottomlesse pit and there shut up and withall a Seal set upon him that he might not seduce the Nations any more till the thousand years should be fulfilled which being expired he should be let loose for a little season I require then that some age of the New Testament may be produced wherein the Epocha or beginning of these years may be said to have been Again The Resurrection of the Martyrs is proved from the Antithesis or opposition expressed in the 4. and 5. Verses where it is expresly said That the rest of the dead lived not again untill the thousand years were expired Therefore when as it is said that the Martyrs lived they are to be understood to have lived again Now let it be made appear when this living again happened Lastly The warre of Gog and Magog hath not been yet as many would have it For after those thousand years shall be finished in all which time no Nations shall be seduced by Satan then I say shall this new seduction begin over the whole face of the earth and from the four corners of the world an innumerable army shall be gathered which shall bring great trouble to the Saints and shall be consumed with fire sent down from God Seeing therefore these three things which I have mentioned are not already fulfilled it is most certain that they are yet to be fulfilled The fifth Argument is from the absurdity that will follow For except we keep close to the letter and apply it to the happinesse of the Church which shall be hereafter on earth both the explication and application of this whole Prophesie will prove very empty unsavory and wrested Let us take one of many Some say that these thousand years here mentioned began with the overthrow of the Temple and Iewish Worship because then the Iews who hitherto never ceased to trouble the Nations and to turn them aside from the Gospel being now scattered and cast off the Nations now by whole troops were brought in in their stead to the Church of Christ and that then Satan being bound it was made apparant that he ceased from seducing the Nations Now let us see what a fine exposition this is Ierusalem was overthrown by Titus in the 69. year of Christ Here then let us begin the Epocha of these thousand years so that they may end in the year of Christ 1069. Now let there be conferred with this whole course of time the Conversion of the Nations the sinck of Heresies the defection and seduction of Mabomet the Mystery of Iniquity and lastly the persecution of the Godly and then let it be shewn how Satan reigning all this while so powerfully was bound for a thousand years and seduced not the Nations Let it be shewn also how any Martyr ever reigned with Christ from the year of the Lord 69 to the year 1069. Certainly none have yet reigned with Christ because none have yet risen from the dead Now the reign of the Martyrs with Christ must follow their Resurrection So that if these thousand-years were expired in the year of Christ 1069. It follows That these 573 years which have passed from that time to this present year 1643. is a little season in respect of a thousand years because it is said That after those thousand years the Divell shall be let loose for a little season that he may again seduce the Nations Vers. 3 7 8. But 573 years cannot be said to be a little season in regard of 1000 years seeing they contain a great deal more then half thereof Neither doth that make voide the truth hereof which they bring out of 2 Pet. 3.8 that a thousand years with God are but as one day For there it is spoken concerning God's estimate or account who as he esteems a thousand years but as one day so again he esteems one day as a thousand years as it is plain out of the place now cited But here it is spoken concerning man's estimate who makes not the like account of a short as he doth of a long time The sixth Argument is ab implicito as they use to speak implyed and necessarily deduced from another truth Iohn writes that for the space of those thousand years the Nations should not be seduced Vers. 3. where not onely the Heathens but also the Iews are to be understood For Satan is so bound and committed to Hell that he cannot at all seduce any one Therefore neither the Jews Now it plainly appears to every one that the Jews ever since the Passion of Christ even to this very age of ours have been most miserably seduced Therefore these thousand years are yet to come Again It is very probable That the Persecution of the Church hath been a great occasion among other things to hinder the Iews gathering of themselves to the Church Therefore if the Jews should but see the wonderfull overthrow of Antichrist without doubt it would afford them a great occasion of their Conversion Upon this ground the overthrow of Antichrist shall immediately go before not the last judgement but the happinesse of the Church which shall happen in this life The second Classes of Arguments OUt of divers places of Scripture we will bring severall Arguments which shall all have dependance upon this Syllogiâ—mâ— What things soever are by God foretold in the Old and New Testament and are not already fulfilled shall of certainty be yet fulfilled But the great happinesse of the Church here on earth is foretold by God in the Old and New Testament but not as yet fulfilled Therefore It shall be yet fulfilled The Assumption or second proposition we will demonstrate out of divers places of Scripture in which the parts of this future happinesse which a little before we have
it appears that those thousand years began in the year of Christ 73. Answ. Satan indeed in the year of Christ 1073 was let loose as he is alwayes to be conceived let loose when he troubles the Church But that letting him loose which shall be after the thousand years shall be farre of another sort For then Satan shall be loosed that he may stirre up the Nations to the Warre of Gog and Magog and indeed he shall be so let loose that he shall not long go on to destroy But now from the year of Christ 1073 to this present some whole Ages have passed XIX Object This Opinion little differeth from the errour of the Chiliasts or Millenaries which long ago hath been exploded for this reason Because after the downfall of Antichrist they feigned out of this very 20 Chap. a corporeall Resurrection of the Martyrs and Confessors and their reign with Christ for a thousand years Answ. The opinion of the Chiliasts ought not to have been exploded for this reason because it maintained a double Resurrection one in particular another Universall for truely in Christs time when he hung upon the Crosse there happened a particular Resurrection of the Saints The Resurrection of the Martyrs hath also a foundation upon this Text whereon also our judgement for their Kingdom of a thousand years is grounded 2. The Chiliasts erred in this respect in that they maintained an eternall life here on earth and in the City Hierusalem That this life should consist in the enjoyment and use of all bodily pleasures which should last only for a thousadd years And of their opinion they made this the foundation because that in the 20 chap. of Rev. there was mention made of a thousand years Let us hear * Augustine concerning them The Cerinthians devise also to themselves a thousand years after the Resurrection which shall be in an earthly kingdom of Christ according to the * carnall pleasures of the belly and their lust from whence also they are called Chiliasts So the Chiliasts But our opinion maintains not a thousand years of carnall pleasures but of Spirituall joyes Has omnes ubi mille rotam volvere per annos Lâ—thaeum ad fluvium Deus evocat agmine magno Scilicet immemores supâ—râ— ut convexa revisant Rursus insipiant in corpora velle reverti But they urge The opinion of the Chiliasts in following times also hath been revived again in a new trim or dresse and this exposition of yours differs not a whit from it which they prove thus Alfonsus Conradus of Mantua whom severall times you have before alleadged writes thus upon the 20 of the Revel. But how are these thousand years to be interpreted shall they be said to be already past or yet to be expected Here you will not easily clear your self seeing the expositions of this place are wondrously divers and yet I make a question of it Whether any either of the ancient or latter expositors have ever touched the genuine and true meaning of the place In the first place indeed were the Chiliasts who Iudaizing and entertaining carnall conceits concerning divine matters did carnally also interpreted this place and say thus When six Millenaries or 1000 years shall be accomplished from the Creation of the world then Antichrist with all his forces that is the wicked and whosoever have obeyed his commands against Christ shall be destroyed Again say they For the whole 7th Millenary Christ with his elect shall reign here on earth in all tranquility and peace and without any affliction at all Satan in the mean while being bound in the bottomlesse pit that he might not any way disturb their peace Now the thousand years of peace and tranquility being accomplished Satan shall be let loose again before Christs coming to Iudgement and shall stirre up Gog and Magog against the Godly untill by the coming of Christ the Militia or strength of Satan shall be repressed and Satan shut up for ever into the bottomlesse pit But this Doctrine because it hath many absurdities is to be avoided by all Christians So Alfonsus in the place cited Hence it appears then That the exposition hitherto brought and maintained is nothing else but the opinion of the Chiliasts in another dressing or at least the errour of new Chiliasts Answ. 1. In this opinion that is to be approved of which hath foundation in the Scripture as these three things in it have 1. That Antichrist shall be destroyed before these thousand years 2. That the Church shall be for these thousand yeers free from persecutions 3. That after these thousand years the Warre of Gog and Magog shall begin 2. In the same opinion we dislike and disprove That it allows carnall security That it affirms that no ungodly men shall be remaining for those thousand years That it maintains that Christ shall reign visibly here on earth lastly That it doth precisely joyn this Millenary with the end of the sixth Millenary of the world which conceit is taken from the Traditions of the House or Family of Elias 3. He is not rashly to be accused of * Turcisme or Iudaisme who affirms any truth which a Turk or a Iew doth likewise maintain as for example That there is but one God * So in like manner he is not straightway a Chiliast who defends the truth of any thing which the Chiliasts also do rightly maintain out of Scripture For this they do not hold and teach as Chiliasts XX Object The Kingdom which Revel. 20.4 is granted to the Martyrs consists herein That their souls shall reign in Heaven with Christ For although the holy Martyrs and Confessors who poured out their lives and lost their fortunes under Tyrants and Antichrist for Christ's sake were judged by the world as miserable and wretched men yet the Spirit of God declares otherwise of them That they shall live and reign in happinesse with Christ in Heaven Answ. 1 This Resurrection is granted to the souls of the Martyrs Synochdochically or totally because their souls shall so farre rise or be restored that they shall again be united to their bodies For the dead bodies shall not rise again without their souls but every body again united to it's own soul And to the souls the rest of the dead are opposed of whom it is said That they lived not again till the thousand years were finished Therefore whereas it is said of the souls of the Martyrs That they should live it is to be understood of their Resurrection in their bodies resumed or taken to them again 2. This is proper to the other elect Saints as well as to the Martyrs That their souls should reigne with Christ in Heaben But in this place some prerogative is bestowed on the Martyrs which consists in this That in the beginning of the thousand years they shall rise again and reign with Christ 3. It is said This particular Kingdom shall continue for a thousand
present state of Christs Kingdomâ— but of the Stone which those Monarchies being dissolved and overthrowne became a Mountainâ— and filled the whole earth Hactenus Medeus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in m sticis Prophetiis si quis alius {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Learned Authour of a Latine Treatise lately Printed in London and Inscribed NVNC IVS PROPHETICVS DE millenariâ felicitate doctrinam non esse novam besternam c. The future felicity of the Saints and servants of God here on earth for the space of 1000. yeares is no novell conceit new broached fancy or an opinion started up yesterday but a Truth to be reverenced for its antiquity and seniority it being countenanced and maintained above 14. or 1500. yeares agoe yea even in the infancy of the Christian Church Many reverend men famous for their sanctity and learning who lived whilest the blood of Christ was yet warme taught freely and fully with applause of all and contradiction of none concerning a great Sabbath and time of Rest which should in after ages come upon the Earth Some of them maintained then a twofold Resurrection 1. Particular of some choyce Saints especially Martyrs and Confessors whose lives were shortned and imbittered for the testimony of Iesus 2. Vniversall of the residue of the Saints with all the Reprobates which is a principall flower in the Garland of every Christians Creed and betwixt both a truely Golden Age of 1000. yeares continuance Peruse and ponder good Reader Revel. 5.10 and ch. 20.4 5 6. where the premises if my interpretation may â—eare sway are so manifestly asserted as if they were written with a Sunne beame Neither let any scruple at the raising of any particular Saints before their Brethren seeing we have a president hereof in sacred Writ or the first Good Friday or as I rather conceive on the first Easter day for at that time there arose with Christ our first Parents holy Patriarches and Matriarchs with many religious Kings and inspired Prophets by name Adam Eve Noah Abraham and his Sarah Isaac Iacob Iob Moses David or at least Iohn Baptist Zachary Elizabeth Simeon Anna Ioseph Christs Foster-father with others who saw and conversed with Christ in the flesh Moreover not a few eminent and ancient Fathers were strongly opinionated that Christ himselfe should then descend from Heaven and here Reigne in a visible shape with great glory and tranquillity amongst his Saints and holy ones That eloquent and * candid writer Lactantius the Cicero of the Christians shall be the mouth of the rest The Sonne of the highest and great God shall come to judge the living and dead and he shall dwell among men 1000. yeares and he shall governe them under a most just command and they shall live with their bodies they shall not dye but for those 1000. yeares they shall encrease into an infinite multitude and their issue shall be holy and beloved of God Now they that are raised from the dead shall as Iudges be placed over them that are alive And a little after The Moone shall receive the brightnesse of the Sun and shall lose her light no more And the Sun shall be seven times more glorious then now it is The earth shall expresse her fruitfulnesse and bring forth of its owne accord plentifull store of corne The cliffes of the Mountaines shall sweat out honey the Springs and rivers shall flow with wine and milke And presently againe There shall be no ravenous beasts in this time no birds of prey but all things shall be quiet and peaceable The Lyon and Calfe shall feed at the same stall the Wolfe shall not devoure the Sheepe neither shall the dogge hunt after his prey The Eagle and Hawke shall doe no harme The Infanâ— shall play with Seapents Lastly all those things shall come to passe which the Poets fable to have beene in those golden times of Saturnes reigne Men shall live therefore a most quiet and plentifull life and they shall reigne together with God and the Kings of the earth shall bring in their gifts and presents to worship and honour the great King c. This is the doctrine of the holy Prophets which we Christians follow This is Christian wisdome These are the words of Lactantius which though plausible at the first view being most part Scripture phrase yet may here and there I grant if minutely examined be justly liable to exception as bordering neere upon the Heresy of Cerinibus and the old condemned Millmarians except we yeeld them spoken as Saint Paul speakes in another case after the manner of men Howbeit the Authour may be excused he having only amplified that in transcendent expressions and flourishing streames which many-many Lights of the East and West-Churches delivered in downeright termes But why doe I single out one Lactantius or insist thus on his Rhetoriqueâ— Papias a Bishop and Saint Iohns Scholar Irenaeus and Iustine stiled the Martyr both which lived in the next age to the Apostles Tertullian also and Hilarius men of admirable endowments yea I had almost said and in part blessed Augustine himselfe and his contemporary Saint * Hierome all which were stars of the first magnitude in the firmament of the Primitive Church most willingly have afforded their places and suffrages to this comfortable Doctrine I meane for the maine of it After a good pause the same Author proceeds thus Lastly In what yeare this new world shall begin wherein holy men and women shall rejoyce and live together in a most blessed and heavenly manner is one of the great secrets of Heaven all which are unknowne to us mortals Alas our dimme eyes the Caleb and Ioshua fellow spies in this Isle of man cannot pierce those tenfold Orbes of Heaven Indeed so many men so many mindes One Author assignes this yeare another that a third differs in his account from both But it is agreed on all hands that this thrice happy and golden age is now at hand Alstedius the Champion of the late Millenarians and a maine prop of this new revised Doctrine names and confidently determines the yeare of Christ 1694. being 52 yeares hence for the first yeare of this triumphant Reigne of the Saints here on earth Others judge the time uncertaine and certainly their judgment in my judgement is most certaine I will turne my private opinion into a prayer O that the Almighty would hasten I againe and againe I wish it this glorious Kingdome that so it may come in our times before we be lodged in the silent grave and moulder into our principles dust and ashes And now I will seale this delightfull contemplation with the words of Saint Iohn surnamed the Divine or rather not of the Pâ—â—man but of the thrice blessed Spirit which guided his pen Rev. 20.6 Blessed is he that hath his part in the first Resurrection Sweet Jesus grant a part in the first Resurrection to Thy servant and
Sonne of thine Handymayd T. B. I wholly submit my selfe and opinion to the determination of our long expected Venerable Synod Its Auctoriâ—â—e in libello Docto Iupiter laborioso There is extant also in Print this last yeare a Treatise of one Master John Archer sometimes Preacher of All-hallows in Lombardstreet Intituled The Personall Reigne of Christ upon Earth The Author as I â—eare is with God but his Booke thou maist have on every stall But so farre out of some of our English Divines Let us now heare the Incomparable Tycho Brahe Tycho Brahe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} His Testimony taken out of his first Tome Astronomicorum Progymnasmatum not farre from the end IT is worthy our best observation that as all the former uneven Revolutions of the Fiery Trigon namely the first third and fifth have ever beene auspicious to the world as having ushered in some great and singular favours of the Almighty to mankind so it is probable that this seventh Revolution which now Reignes ever since the yeare of our Lord 1603. is the forerunner of a more happy and glorious state then all the afore pâ—ssed ages have eveâ— yet enjoyed Neither doth this disagree with the most ancienâ— prophecies of the wisest men and enlightned by the Holy Ghost who have foretold that before the generall conflagration of all things that there shall be a certaine quiet and peaceable age for some good space of time upon Earth wherein the tumults and confusions happening 〈◊〉 politique States and by reason of varieties of Religions shall be setled and appeased and at length be made more conformable to the Divine Will and pleasure Which we may also not abscurely collect from the Prophets themselves who foretold that some golden age should be for a time on Earth in which men should beate their swords into Plough-shares and their Speares into pruning-hookes neither should Nation lift up a sword against Nation nor learnâ— warre any more But they shall sit every man under his Vine and â—nder his Figureâ— and none shall make them afraid as Micah the Prophet hath it ch. 4. and Esay ch. II. prophecyeth of the same in this manner The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lie downe with the Kid and the Galfe and the young Lion and the â—atling together and a little childe shall leade them And the Coâ— and the Beare shall feed their young ones shall lie downe together and the Lyon shall eate straw like the Oxe And the sucking childe shall play on the hole of the Aspe and the weaned childe shall put his hand on the Cockatricuden They shall not hurt in all my holy Mountaine For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea And that passage also Esay 60. is to be referred to the Mysticall Hierusalem or more perfect state of Christianity then hath beene hitherto For Brasse I will bring gold and for Iron I will bring Silver and for-Wood Brasse and for Stones Iron I will also make thy Officers peace and thy exactors righteousnesse Violence shall no more be heard in thy Land wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy wals salvation and thy gates praise And what goes before and followes where at length lie thus concludes I the Lord will hasten it in his time More places are likewise to be found as well in the Prophets as in the * Revelation promising an unusuall and unexpected happynesse of earthly things such as never hath beene in any age of the world hitherto The truth therefore of this Prophecy shall be fulfilled before the generall destruction of all things for it cannot faile proceeding wholly from the infallible Spirit of God and it is probable that the accomplishment thereof is at hand Why then may not all these things obtaine an expected event within the compasse of this renewed Revolution of the fiery Trigon and of the other three ensuing which compleate 800. yeares Hactenus Atlas ille Coeli Mathematici The Testimony of Carolus Gallus out of Dr Hakewill in his Advertisement to pag. 476. for I have not the Booke by me A Booke written by Carolus Gallus a Professour of Divinity in the University of Leyden published in the yeare 1592 and intituled Clavis prophetica nova Apocalypseos Iohannis Apostoli Evangeliographi In his Epistle Dedicatory to the Prince of Orenge and the States of the Netherlands he professeth it was a worke In quo saith he jam inde a viginti quinque annis c. that is In which for these XXV yeares I have very much laboured by reading meditating searching writing disputing and publiquely teaching both in Churches and Schooles seeking out and letting slip nothing which seemed to concerne the finding out of this Divine Treasure Now this man after all this travell search and study thus concludes his eight Observation upon the 20. Chapter of that Booke Breviter spiritus propheticus in hac Iohannis Apocalypsi c. that is Briefely the Spirit in this Revelation of John Prophecyeth concerning the particular and wonderfull Resurrection renovation and restitution of the Church that it in this last Age shall appeare made one of Jewes and Gentiles both living and dead and more gloriously then ever heretofore in a wonderfull manner shall live againe from the dead or first death and shall be renewed restored and flourish againe I THESS IV. Commate 16. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} THE DEAD IN CHRIST {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} for Christ that is The Martyrs SHALL RISE FIRST THe interpretation will not seeme strange to any one who knowes that the same Paul who in his owne words is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Ephe. 4.1 was a prisoner on bound for the Lords sake the preposition as feaâ—heâ— men know sometimes signifying the cause propter qâ—â—â— That place also Rev. 14.13 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} They that dye in the Lord is no otherwise interpreted by some Learned men for the whole pericope or passage there seemes plainely to point at the Martyrs who verse 4. are more elegantly called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The first fruites unto God and to the Lambe as purchased by a particular prerogative from among men Io. Bodimus method Hist. cap. 7 Epist. ad Paulinum Quot babet verbâ— tâ—â— Sacramâ—ntâ— * Dâ—â—tate exuperant latae contra ingraâ—os leges Amm. Marcell lib. 23. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Themiâ—t Orat. 3. * Xenophon {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} â— Cic. Academ. Quâ—st l. 2. Acts xvii â—â— 19 Lâ—ers de librâ—s Heâ—selitâ— Anthol lib. gâ—â—p 33. * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} O 〈…〉 dictâ— vide Epâ—cterum {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Tim. 4.3 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Tim. 1 1â— * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Marc.
Egyptian bondage Exod. 12. and 14. by the deliverance of Hierusalem from the siege of Sennacheri◠2 Kin. 19. by the deliverance from the hostile invasion of the Ethiopians under King Asa. 2 Chro. 14. by deliverance from the invasion of the Moabites and Ammonites under King Iehosaphat 2 Chron. 20. And lastly by deliverance from the oppression of Antiochus Epiphanes 1 Mac. 1. and following chapters Adde unto these divers examples of the Church of the N. T. which when it's condition hath been granted as desperate and quite lost hath had deliverance by the * unexpected handy-work of God See the Ecclesiasticall History at large From hence we may very well gather that the Church at this time oppressed on every hand and left destitute of all humane assistance shall by the power of God be asserted and vindicated when Antichrist in the full course and carrére of his happynesse shall little think of any such matter IV. The downfall of Antichrist and the binding of Satan for a thousand years do without any intermission meet together It is very probable therefore That the beginning of these thousand years is at hand For Antichrist at that very time wherein he shall make the greatest boast of his victories shall suddenly fall Revel. 18.7 8. V. The severall Phaenomena or Apparitions in the Heavens namely new Starres and Cometes also Earthquakes and the like taken notice of in these latter times do without doubt portend and manifestly foretell some notable and extraordinary change VI The Period or limited time for the Kingdom of Antichrist to continue is almost expired and at an end as appears by the Revelation and History VII Daniel Chap. 12. declares an end of his prophesie when he expressely sets down that 2625. years shall be finished after the end of his Lxx. Weeks that is from the year of Christ 69. which years if they be added to the other the sum of 2694. years is made up In which current of time all things shall happen out which are foretold except the last Judgement and what follows thereon Wherefore if from 2694. years 1000 be subducted we shall come by the year of Christ 1694. In this year then or sooner our THOUSAND years shall take their beginning The consent of Godly and learned Men IN the forefront we place the fourth book of Esdras For there many passages occurre concerning the conversion of the Jews and the deliverance of the Church of the N. T. from Antichrist Especially That is a notable place Chap. 13.39 40. And whereas thou sawest that he gathered another peaceable multitude unto him Those are tenne Tribes which were * carried away prisoners out of their own Land in the time of Hoshea the King What the same Author writes concerning the Eagle and Lion is severally expounded by severall interpreters Out of the Sibylls also some things are brought about the downfall of Antichrist and the happy estate which the world shall enjoy after that shall come to passe Very much mention is made of that Rome shall become a street or high way All the Fathers were of this opinion that Elias should come and restore all things Some as you may see in Alfonsus Conradus in his Commentary on the Revelation between the coming of Christ in the flesh and his coming in Majesty do maintain a certain middle coming which they call his coming in the power and effiency of his Spirit to destroy the great Antichrist to reform his Church This coming they say shall be in the end of the sixth Millenary or 1000 years of which coming they make Enoch and Elias the forerunners They say that Antichrist shall be destroyed by their preaching and his Kingdom abolished After whose downfall peace shall be granted to the Church and Satan shall be bound so that he shall not be able to disturbe the tranquillity thereof Now this peace and happy progresse of the Church they say shall last for the whole seventh Millenary till the last time of her troubles by the persecution of the Nations Gog and Magog because Satan who they say shall then be set at liberty shall stirre them up against the Godly From hence it appears That our opinion concerning these 1000 years is not new and unheard of Alfonsus Conradus of Mantua in his Commentary on the Revelation published at Basil. An. 1574. writeth as followeth IN his Preface This one thing perchance will offend the ears of some because I seem to promise a more plentifull peace to the Church then that likenesse of the Crosse will allow of to which in this world it must be made conformable to Christ it's head But let them bethink themselves I entreat them that this is not so contrary to the Scripture that it should be objected against me or laid to my charge as fit to be reckoned in the number of those which are termed either impious or absurd Especially when as I cannot perceive by what means that happinesse which Iohn writes the Church shall enjoy Satan being bound can be made good except we acknowledge some rest of the Church her enemies being overthrown Which I think indeed ever happened as often as the enemies of God's people have been removed out of the way Now because the enemy which Iohn tells us shall be taken away is more dangerous then all that ever yet infested God's people it ought not to seem strange to any one if he being once overcome the Church enjoy a more plentifull peace then usually Vpon the 20. Chap. of the Revel. Vers. 1. God being about to bestow a more plentifull peace upon his Church then hitherto he had granted to it it sufficeth him not to have removed out of the way the Beast and those Kings of the Earth with a horrible slaughter who favouring the Beast had wholly disturbed his Churche's peace except also he restrain Satan the beginner of all these mischiefs So that he may not any more raise those usuall contentions and strife among men Wherefore the Angel comes down from Heaven who repressing the fury of Satan shuts him up in the bottomelesse pit and there forces him to remain so long as he pleases not to have the peace of the Church to be taken away And a little after Now he binds him and shuts him up into the bottomelesse pit for a thousand years that is for that whole time wherein God hath determined that the peace of his Church shall not be disturbed by Satan See more there to this purpose Lucas Osiander upon Daniel 12. I think the end of these years will fall in with that time in which the Popedome of Rome shall bodily be overturned although in some mens mindes it shall hiddenly remain even untill the last day Matthew Cotterius in his continued and demonstrative Exposition of the Revelation upon the 20 Chap. Satan began to be tyed in bonds when the restored Truth of the Scriptures began to take place on earth the witnesses being
raised and the dark miste of lyes being dispelled Then shall Satan be bound for a thousand years which must be expired before he scatter new errours through the world and by them seduce the Nations This this is the imprisonment this is the liberty or setting free of Satan In the same place upon vers. 2. But when began Satan to be bound In the year 1517. when the witnesses were raised From that time ALL people generally have not drunk any new poyson of heresie which might weaken or overturn their faith In the same place To 1517. adde 1000. years So you shall make 2517. at which time Satan shall again draw the Nations into abominable heresies In this Exposition of Cotterius the thousand years are rightly urged according to the letter But his Epocha or beginning of his account is not well placed in the year 1517. For then began onely the praeludium or proeme of this Millenary Iohn Piscator in his Commentary on the Revelations The happynesse of the faithfull who shall live upon earth after the downfall of the Papacy is their security from the hostile invasions of the wicked for 1000 years In the same place The singular happynesse of the Martyrs of Christ who before these thousand years indured persecution is their Resurrection which shall be before the generall Resurrection and their reign in Heaven with Christ for a thousand years before the Resurrection of the rest In this Exposition the literall interpretation is rightly urged But that he sayes the Martyrs shall reign with Christ in Heaven for those thousand years cannot be proved out of the Text Nay the contrary may thence be proved because the Resurrection of the Martyrs is part of the happinesse of the Church here on Earth Again The Kingdom which is limited by a certain number of years cannot suite well with eternall life See also Revel. 5.10 where the Saints in Heaven among other things sing thus And we shall reign upon the Earth But moreover the same Iohn Piscator maintains this opinion of the thousand years in his German translation of the Bible and a little before his death he wrote a short Treatise Of the future happinesse of the Church in this life Out of which I have made use of many things which I have transcribed into this Meditation for that Treatise of his hath not as yet seen the light Many Writers of the former and this present Age have published many things concerning Elias the Artist who is to come Of the Lion of the North who is neer at hand Of a fourth Northern Monarchy Of a great Reformation Of the Conversion of the Jews and the like See Theophrastus Paracelsus Michael Sendivogius in his Treatise of Sulphur Stephanus Pannonius Of the circle of the Works and Iudgements of God where among other things he writs thus Yet it shall come to passe that the pure Gospel of God shall be preached to the Americans before the end of the world Again Nothing is more sure then that the Reformation of the East and South drawing on some famous Emperour whose types Constantine and Theodosius both entitled Great were shall openly shew himself and granting liberty of Religion to them who professe the name of the Holy Trinity shall do some great matter in the world for the glory of God for the building up of the Church and for the downfall of Antichrist In the same place The Eastern Christians fired with the zeal of Christ shall make their way into Asia it self and provoke the Jews to jealousie Rom. 11. And the spirituall Babylon shall be a pray unto all Nations In the same place A refining of the Souldiers of God whereof there is mention Zach. 13.8 that is temptations and tryalls shall go before this Reformation that the light of God may arise out of the Crosse of Christ This Treatise was published in the year 1608. Iohn Dobricius also in the year 1612. did set forth a notable book entitled {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is The Interpreter of times wherein both out of the Holy Scripture and from the new Star which appeared in the year * DC.IV. and the great Conjunction of the Planets many things are discoursed of concerning the reformation and future happinesse of the Church Peter du Moulin in his French Book intituled Du Combat Christien that is The Chrictian Conflict pag. 256. This persecution is a cruell tempest which cannot last awayes Either it will take us out of the world or God will take it away from us Pag. 353. Every one hath but a short journey whereby he must come to God and the time is at hand that we must commit our bodies to the earth our Souls to God and to the Church peace and the blessing of God For it shall come to passe even in our times that God shall be glorified in the great Congregations Yea even in those places where are horrible ruines the Word of God shall â—ound forth and God shall afford us matter of praise and thanksgiving Pag. 450. After that God shall have shewn us his deliverances on earth he will also shew us his riches in Heaven A CONFUTATION Of the Objections I. Object IS taken out of Matth. 24.14 If after the Gospel preached in all the world the end of all things shall come that happinesse of the Church in this world shall not happen out between the end thereof and the preaching of the Gospel For the Gospel is already preached through the whole earth I answer 1. The Consequence is to be denyed for although this happynesse do come between yet it hinders not but that the end of the world should come after the Gospel preached over the whole earth Secondly The pro-syllogisme is to be denyed because the Gospel is not already preached over the whole earth II. Object Is taken from Matth. 24.29 30. If presently after the destruction of Hierusalem Christ shall come to Judgement then this happinesse of the Church shall not be before his coming to Judgement Answ. The matter it self speaks and experience witnesseth that this word Immediately or Presently is not here properly or simply to be understood but hyperbolically and according to what went before namely in relation to the foregoing Prophesie concerning the overthrow of the Iews which they were to receive by the destruction of Hierusalem So that this is the meaning that between this desolation of Hierusalem and the coming of Christ the Iews should receive no other overthrow III. Object Is out of the same Chapter vers. 37 38 39. If a little before the coming of Christ to Judgement the State and condition of the world shall be such as it was in the time of Noâ—h before the Deluge and that such a state of things is to be seen at this day It may be hence gathered that such a condition of the Church as is here described shall not happen out before the coming of