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.

That these words Rev. 5.10. signifie the ho••••ur and priviledges of the godly on earth, it is out of doubt. But the question is, whether John saw these Elders in heaven, and whether they shall come from the heaven to the earth againe; or whether John signifieth by them the godly on earth? If these words make any thing for this purpose, these Elders were in heaven: but all the interpreters, (even the Authour of Com∣mentat Ap••calypt. pag. 8.) expone them to be the godly on earth. The words Rom. 4.13. are, The promise that he should be the heire of the world, was not to Abraham, and to his seed through

the law, but through the righteousnesse of faith. Certainely albeit the Land of Canaan was promised to Abraham, and his seed, yet he (never having possession of that land,) and his seed or the faithfull are more properly called the heires of eternall life. Tit. 3.7. And heires of that Kingdome which he hath promised unto them that love him. Iam. 2.5. And heires of God, and joynt-heires with Christ, Rom. 8.17. Which Kingdome was typified by Canaan: and of this promise without doubt speakes Paul there. The words of Luke 19.17.19. are a part of a parable, and we know that every part of a parable is not argumentative. These texts then serve nothing for this Monarchy. On the margine is cited also a testimony of Windelin: but we regard not the testimony of parties in their own cause, (and far lesse doe we re∣gard the consequences of that testimony, wherewith the next page is filled, and with that question of the essential or accident all change of the Ele∣ments,) seeing for one we may bring five thousand testimonies in this urpose.

Reply.

The question is, you say, whether Saint John saw these Elders in heaven? And that he did the text it selfe doth witnesse. For that these Elders were the same with the Elders in chap. 4. the conti∣nuation of the vision doth infallibly evince. And that Saint Iohn saw those Elders in heaven, the 1 ver. of the 4 chap. doth clearly prove, where it is said, After this I looked, and behold a doore was opened in heaven, and the first voyce which I heard, was as it were of a trumpet, talking with mee, which said, Come up hither; and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. Now what heaven was it in which Saint John saw a doore opened, but the starry heaven, the same heaven, which Saint Stephen saw opened, Acts 7.56? And what heaven was it, from whence he heard a voice talking with him, but the third heaven? in the third heaven it was then (whither Saint Pau•• as once caught up,) that Saint John heard and saw such wonderfull visions, and revelations, as soone as he was in the spirit, that is, as soone as hee was carried up by the spirit, whither he was before called by the voice. And con∣sequently, he saw these Elders in heaven: and this also the 6 and 7 verses of the 5 chap. doe confirme, which shew that these Elders were there, where our Saviour (represented by the Lambe that had been slaine) was, when the booke of Revelation was gi∣ven unto him. And as Saint John saw these Elders in heaven,

so Pareus makes report also of two sorts of interpreters, who by these Elders doe understand Saints in heaven. One, which takes them for foure and twenty and no more, for twelve Patriarches, and twelve Apostles. Another, which takes them for all the Saints then in heaven, to which interpretation he himselfe en∣clines. And Piscator understands by them all the faithfull under both Testaments, under the Law, and under the Gospell; and so makes these 24 Elders to represent not onely the Saints then de∣parted, but all others also which should depart before Christs appearing. And now seeing the text shews that Saint John saw these Elders in heaven; and interpreters say, that they repre∣sented the Saints departed, how can their words, we shall reigne on earth; be understood any otherwise then of their reigning af∣ter their resurrection? Yea let them be taken for the Saints on earth, and yet their words cannot be otherwise understood. For if they did represent the Saints militant on earth, they did then reigne spiritually when they spake these words. And therefore seeing notwithstanding their spirituall reigne, they said not, we doe, but, we shall reigne on earth; it is evident, that their words cannot be meant of a reigne which they should enjoy on earth, while they were in their bodies before their death, (which by your owne confession can be no other but a spirituall reigne) but of a reigne, which they should enjoy on earth, when they are againe reunited to their bodies after their death. And whereas the words in 'Rom. 4.13. For the promise that he should be heire of the world, &c. are by you thus interpreted, [That he should be heire of eternall life, Tit. 8.7.] When you can prove that [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] the visible world doth signifie, eternall life: we shall approve of this exposition. In the meane while, we shall understand it of the joynt government of the world, by Abrah••m and the rest of the raised Saints, in the time of Christs reigne on earth. At which time also, they may well be said to be heires of eternall life, and coheires with Christ, seeing they shall rule the world with him, and can dye no more. The other words Luke 19.17.19. [are a part of a parable, and every part of a parable is not argumentative, you say,] true, that part which crosseth some truth plainely delivered in the scripture, but that which agreeth with the plaine scriptures as this doth with the prophecies touching our Saviours and the

Saints reigning on earth, is argumentative. E••se why is it said, that our Saviour taught them in parables, if parables do containe no certaine truth? And what is the scope of this patable, but to shew, that Christ was not to reigne over the Jews then at his first comming (when the Jewes should refuse to have him reigne o∣ver them, saying, We have no King but Caesar) but at his comming againe from heaven with power and great glory? at which time he would make those that had in their life time improved his spirituall stocke, governours under him. And lastly your sl••ight∣ing of Wendelinus testimony, as a party: and of this marginall note, as too meane for your meditation, is a fine sleight to excuse your not answering of them. To which doubtles you had nothing to say, for else we may well thinke, that you would have been nibling at this marginall note too, as well as you are at others: and that among so many thousand opposite testimonies, you would have pickt out an answer to this single testimony of Wendelinus.