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.

And besides, [ 35] 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 de∣stroy'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 these: he gives no reason of his doubting in the for∣mer; 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 Na∣tions (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, innumera∣ble to men. For the grace of God that brings salvation hath appea∣red 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 Je∣sus 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 our of all Nations, upon horses, and in Litters, and in Charrets, and up∣on mules, and upon swift beasts, &c. to his mountaine at Jerusalem, i•• 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 then so to doe? seeing you confesse page 10. that the Scripture is pro∣perly 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 prope•• sense of these words; nor of any of the Prophecies upon which you strive so much to impose a figurative sense. And as you haw not brought a reason to remove my doubting in this former pas∣sage: 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 ta∣ken 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 ••work•• 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 ap∣pointed 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 de∣stroyed, 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 old, male and female, Master and servant. And yet it might be true too, that the grace of God that bringeth salvation, had then appeared unto all Nations, in re∣gard of the report and publishing of it amongst them; as St. Paul saith, Rom. 10. ver. 18. although not in regard of any effectuall par∣ticipation of it by them. And as for that text, in the 2 Cor. chap. 4. ver. 6. what doth it shew, but that God had reveal'd unto the Apo∣stle and his Assistants, what they preach't unto others; to wit, the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ? and Quid hoc ad Rhombum, what can you conclude from hence?