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 is a King till then, and governeth all who are, and shall be: and when he shall come, they who shall be found alive, shall be caught up to meete him. And because the clearing of this point, may serve for clea∣ring the whole matter, I adde by way of explanation. As the sinne of Adam was committed against God the Father, & his revolting or apo∣stasie was a diminution of the Fathers Kingdome, so the bringing of the faithfull into his obedience, is the rendring of that Kingdome. It is true, the offence was against the Sonne, and Holy Spirit: but the worke of the creation, being the worke of the Father in a speciall manner, (as it is intimated in the Creede) the sinne was directly against the first Per∣son. When obedience was not given, the Father might have executed his justice on the ••ffenders, as be did on the Angels. Now as when a part of an earthly Kingdome rebelleth against the King directly, and in∣directly against his Sonne, as a friend, and heir of his Fathers Crowne: the Sonne may undertake to regaine the rebels unto his Father, and the Father may be well pleased to commit unto his Sonne that part of the Kingdome for that effect with full power, which the Sonne accepts, and reigneth, and prevailes powerfully: so that, albeit, the arch-traitour gain-stand in malice to the honour of the King, and his Sonne, yet ma∣ny of the rebels are reconciled with the King, who by this meanes regain∣eth his Kingdome: So the Sonne of God hath undertaken for so many as it pleased him, and beseecheth men to be reconciled with the King of heaven and earth, shewing that he hath appeased the Fathers wrath, and bath power to receive into, and exclude from the Kingdome of heaven: which power he hath received of the Father; and he shewes that there is a time determined for receiving men into grace againe; So that if that time shall expire, there is no more grace to be shewed unto any; Satan en∣vieth the glory of God, and mans reconciliation, and therefore opposeth

by deceiving some, and vexing others, who hearken unto the word of re∣conciliation: neverthelesse Christ prevaileth by his preaching, so that a great many repent, and crave mercy, and others not: when the de∣termined time comes, these who have been received into mercy, are pre∣sented unto God the Father, and as if they had not rebelled, he accepts them into his Kingdome: when the Sonne saith, Here am I, and these whom I have brought into acknowledgement of their offences: I have satisfied justice for them, Thou O Father hast thine owne Subjects, and let them have the Kingdome prepared for them: The Father will not say, thy reward is not in heaven, but on earth: therefore let them goe againe to the earth, and inherit glory there for a 1000 years: but re∣ceives them into the inheritance reserved for them in the heavens.

Reply.

This answer is as much besides the question as the other: for the argument is, That if Christ doth now reigne, and shall reigne onely till his comming, then those Saints which shall be found a∣live at his comming shall be exempted from his Kingdome, shall not reigne with him, as the Saints departed did reigne with him. To which you say no more but this, [That they shall be caught up to meete him.] And besides, seeing our Saviour is not to give up his Kingdome to his Father, till after his next appearing, and that the time of his reign is to be but a 1000 yeares; it must needs fol∣low, (according to your opinion) that not onely all the Saints before his incarnation, but that the Apostles themselves too, and all the rest of the Saints that have been converted within the first six hundred yeares and upwards since his incarnation, must be ex∣cluded from his Kingdome. And yet doubtlesse both the Saints before Christs first comming, and the Saints under the first ages of the Gospell, have all reigned spiritually, as well as the Saints since that time. They have been conquerours I say, over sin, and over sufferings for obedience unto Christ, in as eminent manner, as any Saints since have been, (if not more eminently,) as in the 11 chap. to the Heb. the Acts of the Apostles, and the Ecclesia∣sticall histories doe testifie. And therefore that reigne of the Saints revealed in the 20 chap. of the Apoc. as a reigne to come, and to be but of a 1000 yeares continuance, must needs be meant of some other reigne: and consequently of a proper and politick reigne on earth, at the redemption of their bodies. But lest the

reader should take notice that you have nothing to say to these arguments, you annexe unto your indirect answer, a long dis∣course; whereof that of the Apostle, Rom. 5.19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous: is the whole summe. And in this discourse wh••ch you call [a clearing of the whole matter.] There are these notable passages. For first you tell us, [that Adams revolting was a dimi••ution of the Fathers Kingdome.] whereas indeed it made way for the salvation of those whom God had predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, of which number not one was diminished by Adams apostasie: for as many as God had purposed to save before mans fall, somany and no more will he make heires with Christ, will he make partakers of the King∣dome prepared for them from the beginning of the world. Se∣condly, you tell us, [That the bringing of the faithfull into the obe∣dience of the Father, is the rendring of the Kingdome unto him.] And so you make Christs reigne, and the rendring of his Kingdome to the Father, to be all one, and to contemporate; whereas the giving up of his Kingdome, must needes succeede the time of his reigne: for to cease from governing a Kingdome, must needes presuppose a preceding government of it. Yea and you your selfe say afterwards, [That when the determined time comes, these who have beene received into mercy, are presented unto God the Father—when the Sonne saith, Here I am, and these whom I have brought into the acknowledgment of their offences, I have satisfied justice for them, Thou O Father hast thine owne Subjects, and let them have the King∣dome prepared for them.] Wherein you plainely acknowledge, that the rendring up of the Kingdome to the Father, is to be when the number of the elect is fulfilled, when these who have be∣fore been received into mercy, are all presented unto God the Father, with spotlesse and incorruptible bodies and soules. Which is a flat contradicting of your former words, to wit, That the recei∣ving of the faithfull into mercy, that the bringing of them into the Fa∣thers obedience at their conversion, is the rendring of Christs Kingdome. Thirdly, you tell us, [That Adams revolting was a sinne directly against the Father.] Whereas the workes of power being chiefly attributed unto the Father, the workes of wisedome unto the Sonne, and of love unto the Holy Ghost; The sinnes of infirmity,

and weakenesse are most direct against the first Person: the sinnes of ignorance and unadvisednesse most direct against the second Person: and the sinnes of wilfulnesse and malice, most direct a∣gainst the third Person. And did Adam fall out of weakenesse, when (as all Divines agree) he had ability to stand? or out of ignorance, when he knew that he did what he was forbid to doe? or rather out of wilfulnesse, when notwithstanding his power to have withstood temptation, and his knowledge of the unlawful∣nesse of the act; he yet yeelded to doe what he should not have done? Fourthly, whereas the rebellion of mankinde against God is generall: you compare it onely with the rebellion of a part of an earthly Kings Subjects. Fifthly, from this defective comparison, you make Christ to reigne but over a part of his Fa∣thers Kingdome; whereas he is to deliver up a whole Kingdom to the Father, and not a part of a Kingdome onely; and doubt∣lesse he must reign over al that he delivers up. Yea although you here make Christ to reign only over a part of his Fathers King∣dome, and say also, [That the arch-traytour gain-stands in malice to the honour of the King and his Sonne: that Satan still opposeth by deceiving some, and vexing others:] yet you say pag. 7. That Christ is great over all the world, seeing all the Gentiles doe prayse him, and all people laud him. And pag. 52. That be hath made all Kingdomes of the world acknowledge his authority, and hath put downe all contrary power and authority, &c. And pag. 58. That now is no Kingdome but our Lords and his Christs. And pag. 40. That his enemies are made subject to him, even his greatest enemies. So contrary are you to the truth, and to your selfe. Sixthly and lastly, you tell us, [That at the delivering up of our Saviours Kingdome, the Father will not say, Thy reward is not in he even, therefore let them goe againe into the earth, and inherit glory for a 1000 yeares.] And doubtlesse he will not. For when our Saviour shall give up his Kingdome to the Father, his owne Kingdome on earth shall be fulfilled. And we say, that his Kingdome is to beginne at his appearing, when none but the Saints then departed shall rise: and not at the last judgement, when all others shall rise, as you to delude the reader doe purposely misunderstand us. And so your pretended expli∣cation of the whole matter, is indeede no other, but an intended implication of a plaine truth.