Christs personall reigne on earth, one thousand yeares with his saints the manner, beginning, and continuation of his reigne clearly proved by many plain texts of Scripture, and the chiefe objections against it fully answered, explaining the 20 Revelations and all other Scripture-prophecies that treat of it : containing a full reply to Mr. Alexander Petrie ... who wrote against ... Israels redemption / by Robert Maton.

Preface.

Sixtly, After Cerinthus we read next of Papias, of whom Euseb. lib. eit. Chap. 39. writes thus; he reportes strange parables of our Saviour, mixed with fabulous doctrine, where he dreameth, that the Kingdom of Christ shall corporally here on earth last the space of a 1000 yeares, after the resurrection of the dead: which error (as I suppose) grew hereof, in that he receiv'd not rightly, the true & mystical meaning of the Apostles, neither deeply weighed the things delivered of them by familiar examples; for he was a man of small judgment, as by his bookes plainly appeares: yet hereby he gave unto divers Ecclesiastical persons occasion of error, who respected his antiquity, namely unto Irenaeus and others, if there be any

found like minded. Then lib. 7. Chap. 22., 23. he writes of Nepos, Coracion, and others in Egypt infected with this error about the yeare, 250. whom Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria, did convince in a Synode by demonstrations and doctrine of the holy Scripture, & did reclaime them from their error. Thus he speak's ever of these opinions as of errors contrary unto the holy Scriptures. After Lactantius (who lived about the yeare, 320.) this error was universally abhorred, so that Hierom on Esa. l. 18. and Augustin ad Quod vult. de. haeresi 8. write of it as a damned error, and we read of few or none in this opinion til in this last age it comes a∣p••••e with the Auabaptists and some English Novatours: few write a∣gainst it, because the arguments are so silly and rediculous, that every un∣derstanding person reading them, findes not onely the weaknesse of the grounds, but even out of them doe gather pregnant arguments in the con∣mary. Albeit these Authours doe agree in the time and place of this imagi∣ned Monarchy, yet they write one against another in many circumstances thereof, as is marked hereafter.

Answer.

It is as possible that you may misreport E••esebius touching Papias, as touching the occasion of S^t. John's writing of his Gospel, and as you doe Hierome and Augustine, who you say, [write of the mil∣lenarian Tenet as a damned error.] whenas * 1.1 Augustine (lib. 20. de civ. Dei. cap. 7.) saith; That it is a tolerable opinion, if it were be∣leeved, that the glorified Saints should receive spirituall delights by Christs presence, which is that we hold: and he saith too, that he had been of this minde himselfe, but left it (as it seemes, for no o∣ther cause, but) because many carnal minded thought, that the raised Saints should eate and drinke beyond moderation. And * 1.2

Hierome on Jer. 19. verse. 10, having set downe the opinion (though wrongfully, as Mr. Mede affirmes Comment. Apocal. pag. 285) saith of it: which things though we imbrace not, yet we cannot condemne, because many faithfull persons, and Martyrs of the Church have said them. However, it was as easie for Eusebius or any other, to condemne Papias for a man of small judgment, as it is for you, to say, [that our arguments are so silly and ridiculous, that every understanding person reading them, findes not onely the weaknesse of the grounds, but even out of them doth gather pregnant arguments in the contrary] twas as easie, I say, for Eusebius to write the foresaid words, as it is for you to write these, albeit the Reader may plainly see, that you doe but slander our arguments herein. For besides the plaine texts and prophecies in the new Testament, there are far more prophecies in the old, to shew our Saviours corporal reigne on earth, then there are to shew his birth and death, and as clear∣ly delivered to the understanding. But be it as Eusebius saith, [that Papias was a man of smal judgment] yet that he shewed it not in being of this opinion, not onely the Scriptures, but the judgment of Irenaeus, and other Ecclesiasticall persons, who followed him in it, doe attest: of whom we cannot intertaine such an unjust beliefe, as to thinke, that they would prize the antiquity and authority of Papias word, above the authority and antiquity of the word of God it selfe. But that this truth might be universally abhorred, and rejected as an error after the 320. yeare of our Lord, we easily beleeve. For it is unquestionable, that many a truth and error did change titles each with other, as popish ignorance, superstition and idolatry grew in request, and needs then must this truth, which ascribes the accomplishment of the predictions of Christs Kingly Office to their right owner, soone vanish out of mens minds, and leese its lustre and repute; whenas that Man of sin was shortly to appeare, who to exalt his power above all that is called God, should as blasphemously, as deceitfully, apply these prophecies to himselfe. And lastly, that we agree not in all circumstances a∣bout this opinion, doth no more derogate from the truth and worth of it; then the differences that are amongst other Christi∣ans doe derogate from the truth and necessity of any subject wherein they doe disagree.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sicut mun∣dus sex dichus fuit crcatus, septimus fuit sabbatismus: itá mundum sex millia annorum duraturum; posteà secu∣turum fabbatismum in mille annis postremis; ad hoc seilicet sabbathum celebrandum resurgentibus sanctis Quae opinio esset uteun{que} tolerabilis, si aliquae delicios spirituales in illo sabban••smo affuturae sanctis per Dom nipraesentiam crederentur. Nam etiam nos hoc opin••ti suimus diquandò. Sed cùm cos, qui tunc resurr••••erunt, dicam ••mmoderatissimis carnalibus epulis vacoturas, in quibus cibus sit tantus et potus, ut non solum nullam modestiam tencant, sed modum quo{que} ipsius incredulitatis excedant, nullo modo ista possunt nifi a carnalibus credi. Aug. lib cit.
• * 1.2

  Post captivi∣tatem quae sub Vespasiano et Tito, et posleà accidit sub Hadrimo, us{que} ad consummationem seculi, Ruinae Hierusa•• lem permansurae sunt: quanquam sibi Judaei auream as{que} gemmatons. Hier usalem restituendan•• putent; rursus{que} victimas ct sacri••icia, et conjugia sanctarum: er regnum in terris Domini Salva∣toris: quae licét non sequamur, damnare tamen non possumus; quià multi virorum Ecclesiasti•• corum eì Martyrum sta dixerunt. Hier. loc. cit.