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.

You have before alledged, Psal. 110. to shew that Christ doth now reigne in the midst of his enemies; and we have shewed, that that prophecy is not to be fulfilled, untill he comes from the right hand of his Father: and therefore you have onely said, and not proved that Christs Kingdome is already begun. And [That he doth now by his divine power, over-rule, and dispose of the actions of men, and by his Spirit comfort the hearts of the godly,] is nothing to the question in hand. For thus he governed the whole world, and his Church in the world, as much before his incarnation, as he hath done since. But the prophecies which foreshew our Sa∣viours Kingdome on earth, doe clearely manifest, that he is to reigne over the world in the same manner as temporall Kings doe over their Subjects, to wit, visibly and civilly: that in the time of his Kingdome, I say, the acts of his government are to be the immediate acts of his manhood onely, (although they pro∣ceede originally from his Godhead.) And surely this Kingdome is not yet begun, nor shall beginne till Antichrist be destroyed, and consequently, the foresaid absurdity touching the great di∣stance betwixt the rising and reigning of the Saints, doth inevita∣bly follow upon the spirituall interpretation of the first resurre∣ction. And whereas you say, [That the enemies of the godly are ma∣ny times more afraide of their prayers, then at the cannons of other ene∣mies,] you herein contradict experience it selfe; for what doe the Mahometans, or any Pagan Nations regard the prayers of Christians, whose very faith they account foolishnesse? or what doe persecuting Christians themselves regard the prayers of the persecuted, whom they thinke to be worthily punished by them? doubtlesse they are no more afraide of them, then Saint Paul was, when through a mistaken zeale, he was so exceedingly madde against them, that he punished them in every Synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme, & persecuted them to strange cities. And therefore though the prayers of the righteous may prevaile very much with God, for their owne, and their enemies good: or for the disappointing of their enemies devices and

attempts; yet certainely their enemies can neither see, nor re∣gard this, unlesse God open their eyes, (as he did Saint Pauls,) to behold the perversnesse of their own wayes, and the inno∣cency and uprightnesse of them whom they so much despise.