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.

M^r Petrie's Answer.

1. There is no mention of returning here, but of recovering of the rem∣nant of his people. 2. Who be these his people? Looke the tenth verse, In that day there shall be a roote of Jesse, which shall stand for an Ensigne of the people: to it shall the Gentiles seeke, and his rest shall be glorious: And behold how the Apostles expones these words, Rom. 15.12. Esaias saith, there shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reigne over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust. Now whereas the Apostle expones his people to be the Gen∣tiles, may they not be ashamed, who will underst and onely the Jewes? so that there is meaned the recovery of Gods people, or the Gentiles from Assyria, Egypt, or wheresoever they be.

Reply.

1. There is mention of recovering the remnant of his people from Assyria, Egypt, Paphros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the Islands of the Sea, and of smiting the River, that men may goe over dry-shod, and of a high-way, for the remnant of his people that shall be left, from Assyria, like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the Land of Egypt. And how much doth this recovering dif∣fer from a returning?

2. Who the people be that are meant in this Prophecie, the words Israel, Judah, and Ephraim doe shew, and not the tenth verse where the Gentiles are mention'd. For why should those things which concerne the Jewes here, be understood of the Gen∣tiles, which are onely mentioned by the by as it were; rather then that which is said of the Gentiles, be understood of the Jewes, of whom so much is spoken in this Chapter? And where have you learned to take Judah, and Ephraim, or Israel for the Gentiles? Surely the Apostle expounds not the Jewes by the Gentiles, nor the Gentiles by the Jewes, but rehearseth the 10. ver. of this chap∣ter, to shew that Christ was to bring salvation to the Gentiles, as

well as unto the Jewes (and this Prophecie of the Gentiles being mixt with that which concernes the Redemption of the Jewes, is more likely to be meant of the coming in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles at Christs next appearing, then of the comming in of the substituted part of the Gentiles, in the time of the Jewes blind∣nesse.) And therefore seeing God hath made mention of the Gen∣tiles by name, in those Prophecies which concerne them; and of the Jewes by name in those which concerne them: it behoves us to give to the Jew, the Prophecies that beare the Image and super∣scription of the Jewes: and to the Gentile those which beare the Image and superscription of the Gentiles: and not so needlessely, so irrationally, and so unjustly to give unto the Gentiles, all that belongs unto the Jewes. Whereas then the Apostle quotes this Prophecie out of Isaias, onely as a testimony to prove, that Christ came as well for the good of the Gentiles as the Jewes: if you had any regard of what you say, you would never have cal'd it an ex∣position: nor have publish't it to the world as a rule to interpret the Prophecies, which concerne the Jewes, of the Gentiles. The objections which you have alledg'd against your selfe out of the foresaid Prophecie, are these.