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.

Israel's Redemption.

Thus farre wee have argued topically, [ 9] & by way of probability. But that which seemes to me clearly to quit our Apostles from error, though not from oblivion from error, I say, in the subject, though not in cercumstance; in the thing demanaded, though not in the season of it's performance; is, because I finde my text to be a lesson read to them by our Saviour before his passion. For speaking of the destruction of the Jewes; They shall fall, said he, by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all Nations, and Hierusalem shall be trodden downe of the Gentiles, untill the times of the Gentiles be fullfild, Luke, 21. at the 24. verse, and at the 28. * 1.1 verse (having before shewne what signes should immediately fore∣goe his appearing) he left them this Cordiall: when these things be∣gin to come to passe, then looke up, and lift up your heads, for your re∣demption

draweth nigh. Behold here, Beloved, the casting away of God's people for a time, which wee see at this day verified: and their receiving againe for-ever, which shall as certainly come to passe, plainly foretold. The Redemption, I say, not onely of their soules, from the bondage of sinne, to the favor of God, by the pro∣fession of the Gospel: but consequently of their bodies too, from their generall captivity; to the repossessing of their countrey, by a miraculous deliverance. For if no more should be meant by the word [Redemption,] but the meere conversion of the Jews, in those places where now they live; it cannot be conceived, why this action should be accompanied with such wonderfull tokens, and perplexity of all other nations, as is here mentioned: unlesse we shall admit no space of time, betwixt this conversion, and that instant in which our Saviour shall give sentence on the dead; which I suppose few or none will yeeld to. And if you seriously consider the evidence of the prophets, I am confident you will con∣fesse, That a most righteous and flourishing estate of the Jewes in their owne land, must of necessity distinguish the time of their calling, and the worlds dissolution at the last judgement.

Mr. Petrie's Answer.

Who being right in his wit will learne of one word, Redemption, that the Jewes shall have an earthly Kingdom over all nations? Our Saviour is not speaking there of an earthly Kingdom, nor of the conver∣sion of the Jewes, but as he speaks and expones himselfe, verse 31. Know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand; and this is a matter of greater encouragement then any earthly Kingdom can be unto spirituall minded persons: and therefore when they wrestle against the under∣standing of the Jewes conversion in these words, they fight against their owne fancies. Now if they cannot finde clearer texts in the new Testa∣ment for this earthly Monarchy, every understang Christian will re∣ject the misapplying of the prophets, seeing every ground of faith is revea∣led more clearly in the new Testament, then in the Old. Neverthelesse let us heare the particular proofes.

Reply.

Who that enjoyes the benefit of understanding, will not find how grosly you abuse the Author, and dissemble with the Reader; when purposely overpassing the main ground here al∣ledged for the earthly kingdom of the Jews, you make as though there were no other light for it but in this one word [Redemption] which hath in it self none but a borrowed light, to wit, as it hath reference to the words in the 21. verse, which are these: They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all Nations, and Jerusalem shall be troden down of the Gen∣tiles, untill the time of the Gentiles be fulfill'd. Untill then, but no longer. And because he would not tell them the precise time of the continuance of these times of the Gentiles: and yet would have them know too, when they were neer their expira∣tion: in the verses following, he acquaints them with the signes immediately foregoing his own appearing, their Re∣demption, and the setting up of the kingdom of God. And do the same signes betoken all this? and yet can you say [that our Saviour speaks not here of an earthly kingdom, nor of the Jews conver∣sion?] Doubtlesse in that they foreshew, the Jews Redemption, they betoken not onely their conversion, but their deliverance out of captivity too: and consequently their earthly king∣dom, even that kingdom of which the Apostle enquired. And in that they foreshew, our Saviour's appearing, they shew him to be the Author of this deliverance, according as the Apostles spake of him, Lord wilt thou, &c. And in that they foreshew, the Kingdom of God to be nigh at hand, they shew this kingdom to be no other, but the kingdom of Israel; so call'd, partly be∣cause the power of God shall mightily, and wonderfully ap∣pear to the whole world at the erecting of it: the fearfulnesse whereof the very signes foreshewing onely its neer approach may serve to evidence; for great and unusuall signes, shew great and unusuall alterations. And partly because God shall be more generally, more constantly, and more purely worshipt in the time of this kingdom, then ever he was since the crea∣tion of the world. And therefore there is no cause why any spirituall minded man should be discouraged at the thought of such an earthly kingdom. Neither therefore have we wrest∣led

against our own fancies, in concluding not onely the con∣version, but the restauration of the Jews also from the world, [Redemption] seeing it is apparent to all that will not turn away their eyes, that they may not see it, that as this prophe∣sie was spoken onely to Jews, so both the misery at first, and the mercy at last was spoken onely of the Jews. We have no need then to find clearer texts in the New Testament for this earth∣ly Monarchy, for fear that any understanding Christian will reject what the Prophets have deliver'd so agreeable thereun∣to. But both we and they have good reason to suspect, that you care not what you say, nor how you tamper with the Word of God, if thereby you can procure belief. And to this end you cry out against the clearnesse of the text, when as it hath no darknesse but what you put upon it: and speak any thing of your self, as an undoubted axiome. For you tell us [that every ground of faith is revealed more clearly in the New Testa∣ment, then the old] which is indeed notoriously false. (for where is the Crcation describ'd, the moral Law deliver'd, and our Saviour promised to be born in Bethleem, of a Virgin, of the seed of David? &c.) And admit it were true of all such things, as our Saviour was to fulfill at his first coming; yet it could not be true of all such things as are reserved to be done by him at his second coming. Amongst which, the restoring of the Jews, and his reigning on earth have place.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 Isa. 32.15. Act. 3.21.