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.

If by their living and resurrection be meant their constant profession, (as is said) and by their reigning their prevailing over these heresies, all these mists are soone scattered; to wit, they reigned before their death, and not after their resurrection: they began their reigne not all at once, but in their sever all ages, (even as the Millenaries doe imagine, that the Saints in that conceited Monarchy shall not live all at once, but in their sever all ages dye againe, and succeed one age to another for the space of a 1000 yeares,) and so they reigne not every one throughout the•• 1000 yeares, and so long sp••ce have some ever opposed the errount of the Beast: and they reigning on earth have been encompast with warre a∣gaine, as it was foretold and Ecclesiasticall histories declare.

Reply.

This answer is a fallacy of the same straine with the fourth part of the former answer. So that all it signifies unto us, is this, That if you say the truth, then you say the truth. And seeing you affirme that by the Saints [living and resurrection,] is meant [their constant profession,] and by their reigning, [their prevailing over he∣resies;] I pray tell us, whether amongst Christians there were to be constant professours, and prevailers over heresies, the space of 21000. yeares only and no more? if there were to be such longer, then this cannot be the meaning of the Saints living and reigning with Christ a 1000 yeares. And if there were to be such no longer, then when did the 1000 yeares begin, in which these constant Professors should be? if they began in the time of the Apostles, then there are no constant professours and prevailers over here∣fies now; nor have been in some hundreds of yeares before this. If they began not at that time, then you will exclude the Apostles themselves out of the number of constant professours, and pre∣vailers over heresies: unlesse you will divide the 1000 yeares, and say, that it is not meant that they lived and reigned a 1000 yeares together, but at severall times: and yet thus also you must exclude some ages from having any constant professours in them, which is quite contrary to the word of God, which shews, that when Satan should most prevaile, should have most power to deceive, there should be some elect whom he should not deceive. And whereas you say, [That those constant professours reigning on earth, have been encompassed with warre againe;] I pray tell us when

they were exempted from it the space of a thousand yeares? or when they have beene onely encompast with it? Surely they have knowne but little peace, and have not been onely en∣compast, but often destroyed, and made away, by the fury of their adversaries, whereas in the time of the Saints 1000 yeares reigne on earth with Christ, they are to enjoy peace so long, and when after these yeares they shall be encompast by their enemies, not one of them shall perish, but their enemies shall wholly be de∣stroyed by fire from God out of heaven, as Rev. 20.7, 8, 9. doe mani∣fest. And consequently all that you have said, or can say, touch∣ing the present accomplishment of this prophecy, touching the fulfilling of it before our Saviours appearing, neither hath, nor can have any truth in it. And lastly, as for the contents of your parenthesis, certainely we doe not imagine that the raised Saints, the Saints which the Lord shall bring with him, (whom alone Rev. 20.4. doth concerne,) shall not live throughout the whole space of a 1000 yeares reigne: for we know that they can dye no more after their resurrection. But we beleeve, that the con∣verted Jewes, and all the Gentiles that are left, (to wit, after the extraordinary destruction, which, for their generall opposing the Jewes, shall light on them at our Saviours appearing,) we be∣leeve, I say, that these, and their posterity shall live in the like mortall condition as we doe now; though they shall live much longer then we doe now.