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.

Mr. Petrie's Answer.

He grants, that Christ is now a King, and that he hath executed the Kingly office, But he den••eth that he hath reighed in an earthly King∣dome, as man: in all which we agree: but we disagree in two parti∣culars. First, That the Prophets have spok••n of such a King dome, this remaineth as yet to be proved. Secondly, That he fits on a Throne in heaven as man: If these words, at man, be understood according to the Logicall acceptation, it may be granted: for what agreeth unto any man as man, belongeth unto all men, and indeed it belongeth not un∣to all men to sit on the Throne of Majesty: And neverthelesse Christ sits at the right hand of the Father as God-Man or Mediatour; and in this sense we deny this assertion, as (it seemes) this Author takes it.

Reply.

What a miscellany of untruth and contradiction is here? we need not then enquire what spirit had the guidance of your pen. It is evident enough, that it was he, who once undertooke to

be alying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets. For that Christ is a King, it is unquestionable: Where is he that is borne King of the Jewes? said the wise men, Matth. 2. ver. 2. And Saint Matthew, and Saint Luke have given us his regall genealogy, have registred his princely parentage. At his birth then he was a King autho∣ritative, as Divines speake. The Authority of a King did then of right belong unto him: but he was not then, nor hath been since, a King executive, by putting his royall Authority in execution, Neither have I said it, but the contrary, for my words are [but—considering this we may justly doubt, whether he hath as yet executed the office of a King,] yea that our Saviour as man, as the Sonne of David, hath not yet executed the office of a King, is the very hinge of the difference we are now entring upon; for you hold that our Saviours reigning as the Sonne of David, is to be fulfil∣led while he is in heaven, where and when he was not to reftore the Kingdome to Isra••••: and we hold, that his reigning as man, as the Sonne of David, is to be fulfilled on earth, at his next ap∣pearing, when and where he is to restore the Kingdome to Isra∣el: In this then, is our disagreement, and not our agreement, as you report. And seeing you affirme [that he hath executed his Kingly office, for you say, (though falsely) in all which we agree] How can you conceive, that he doth now reigne? when as that which is already done, cannot possibly be as yet in doing, or to doing. It seemes by this therefore that you neither rightly un∣derstand what we, nor what your owne side doe hold of our Sa∣viours Kingdome: and yet as I take it, you are the man, that uttered this selfe-conceited query, [Whether doe they understand the differences betwixt Jewes and Christians? pag. 1.] This is one untruth, to wit, [That I have granted, that Christ hath executed his Kingly office,] The next is, [That I have said, that he sits on a Throne in beaven as man] which though it be in it selfe a truth: for Christ himselfe saith of himselfe, and am set downe with my Fa∣ther in his Throne, Rev. 3. ver. 21. Yet it is not true, that I have said these words; for thus I have said, [that the place where he now sits is the Fathers Throne, a Throne in which he hath no proper in∣terest, but as God.] These are your misreports of what I have idsa to which we may adde, your affirming that it hath not been pro∣ved, that the Prophets have spoken of a Kingdome on earth;

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when as the Prophecies which I have alledged for it, are so plame, that you left them, as one afraid to behold their evidence. Now your contradictions follow: for having also falsely affirmed that this Proposition, [Christ sits on a Throne in heaven, as man,] is one thing about which we disagree, you thus descant on it. [If these words, as man, be understood according to the Logicall accep∣tation it may be granted.] Thus farre you affirme that according to the Logicall acceptation, Christ fits on a Throne in heaven, as man: and yet you subjoyne presently [for what agreeth unto a∣ny man as man, belongeth unto all men, and indeed it belongeth not un∣to all men to sit on the throne of Majesty.] Whereby you deny, that according to the Logicall acceptation, Christ fits on a throne in heaven as man; It so lowes, [and neverthelesse Christ sits at the right hand of the Father as God-Man, or Mediatour.] Here likewise you affirme, that Christ sits on a Throne in heaven as man, though not onely as man, but as God too: and yet you im∣mediately subjoyne [and in this sense we deny this assertion (to wit, that Christ sits on a Throne in heaven as man) as it seemes this Au∣thor takes it.] But surely this Author ha••h not spoken the words, and yet he will not deny that Christ doth sit there as man, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he should deny what Christ himselfe, and the Apostles have said, neither will he affirme that Christ sits there any otherwise then as God-man, or Mediat••ur; although his sitting doth properly belong unto him as man onely. But you have said, [that Christ both sits, and fits not there in a logicall acception, and that be sits there as God-man, and yet not as man.] Thus contrary are you to your selfe, and withall as contrary to the truth in misapplying your distinction. For whereas you say [It may be granted, that Christ sits on a throne in heaven as man, if these words be understood accor∣ding to the logicall acceptation of them] it is notoriously false: for the words [as man] in this sense doe imply somewhat essentially belonging unto man which cannot be affirmed of Christs sitting on a Throne in heaven, to wit, that it doth essentially belong un∣to his humane nature; for then it should inseparately belong un∣to him, and to all other men besides; this then you should have deny'd, and affirm'd onely that he sits there, as such a man as Me∣diatour. But you, out of your great skill in Logique, (in which you will allow me no insight) have first affirmed both members

of your distinction, and presently deny'd both: such a subtile or rather simple discourse have you extracted out of your logicall principle. And that the Reader may see how unseasonable and unreasonable you have alledged this Philosophicall rule, as well as the Propheticall and Apostolicall writings and revelations, he must know; that this maxime, [what agreeth unto any man as man, belongeth unto all men,] is generally true onely of meere man in opposition to other creatures; and not of our Saviour, who is both God and man; and so as well distinguisht by his humane properties from his divine nature, and by his essentiall attributes from other creatures, as by his mediatory offices from other men. Wherefore it followes not, that what belongs unto Christ as man, belongs unto all men: because we usually say, that all that belongs to Christ, as man; which belongs not to him as God; which appertaines to his humane, and not unto his divine na∣ture. Whether it be proper to him as man, in opposition to other creatures, as to laugh, and to be borne of a woman, or com∣mon also to other creatures, as to be hungry, and thirsty, to eate and drinke, to walke, to weepe, to groane, &c. Or proper to him as such a man, as Medi••tour, in opposition to other men: As to be borne of a Virgine, to dye for our sinnes, to rise againe for our justification, to sit on a Throne in heaven, and to reigne vi∣sibly on earth overall Nations. These and such like we say, doe not in propriety of speech, belong unto Christ as God, but as man because they are the properties of his humane nature. As on the contrary, it belongs unto him as God, and not as man, to be equall with the Father, to be infi••••ite, omnipotent, omniscient, ••c. And thus much for your answer in grosse, which is indeed a very grosse answer. You goe on to catch at particulars, which you thus alledge.