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.

Reply.

It is true that the text saith [whose captives they were] but see∣ing the deliverance which the Prophecy foreshewes hath not been hitherto accomplished, we may truely say [whose captives they are] and therefore there is no such great difference in this change, as you pretend. For unlesse you can prove, that the whole Nation of the Jewes, whose redemption this Prophecy doth con∣cerne, as these words [for the Lord will have mercy upon Jacob, and will yet chuse Israel,] doe shew: Vnlesse, I say, you can prove, that the whole Nation, that all the Tribes have been set in their owne Land, and at their returne thither have brought strangers with them, whom they have possessed there for servants and handmaids, and have ruled there over their oppressours, over those who formerly ruled over them, (which I am sure you can∣not doe) it is not very materiall, whether we say, whose cap∣tives they were, or, whose captives they are. And if there be a∣ny difference in the change, it is onely because the Prophets ex∣pression doth seeme to point to that last generation of the Nati∣ons, under whom the Jewes shall remaine captives immediately before their deliverance. But because you could not shew the ac∣complishment of this Prophecy touching the Jewes, you tell us that Interpreters doe shew the accomplishment of the Prophecy touching the Assyrian, at the end of this chapter; and that that Prophecy speakes not of them, whose captives the Jewes now are. No? Doe none of the Jewes then continue captives in Assy∣ria? surely the reports and writings of Travellers and Traffick∣ers in those parts doe testifie the contrary. And what though the Emperiall power hath been translated from one Nation to ano∣ther, since the Jewes were carried captives by the Assyrian? yet may we truely affirme that the Jewes remaining in that Coun∣trey, are now captives to the Assyrian, because by the Assyrian in the Prophecy, is meant the Inhabitant of Assyria (whither the Jewes were first carried captives) of whom the Lord hath said, I will breake the Assyrian in my Land, and upon my mountaines tread him under foot, then shall his yoake depart from off them (that is, from

off the Jewes) and his burden from off their shoulders. And have Interpreters shewed the accomplishment of this according to the Prophets meaning? Me thinkes then you should not have hid it from us; for the story is worth the hearing, which can shew when the Jewes were in their owne Land, wholly set free from the bondage which the Assyrian first brought them into; and the Assyrian himselfe made subject to them. And what though no Jewes were now captives in Assyria? what were this to the aforesaid Prophecy touching the Jewes redemption, which speakes indefinitely of their deliverance from their oppressours: and of their taking them captives, whose captives they were, and not particularly of the Assyrian, or of any other Nation? It fol∣lowes [neither know we whose captives they are, seeing they live as free Subjects wheresoever they are.] But doe you know that God calls them captives? and their dwelling in strange Countreys a cap∣tivity? this then would have made you account them captives too, if you had had but a graine of that divine reverence towards Gods word, of which you would make others beleeve that you have no small measure. And what was it that made the Jewes captives at first? was it not the losse of their Countrey, and their living under the dominion of another people? and doth not this still continue upon them? wherein then are they now lesse captives then they were heretofore? what priviledges have they now, which they enjoyed not under Nehuchadnezzar, Cy∣rus, Darius, Artaxerxes, Ahasuerus, and others? It seemes then, that you take them not for captives, unlesse they should be put under great slavery, under an Egyptian bondage. This indeed were to make their captivity more grievous and burdensome unto them: but captives they are without this; and God onely knows how soone also the civill power under which they live may be turned against them.