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.

I say not that the whole chapter is controverted, for doubt∣lesse no Christian will deny, that the latter part thereof doth speake of the judgement of the dead at the last resurrection. But I speake of a controverted place in this 20 chapter, which is that touching the first resurrection. And yet suppose the whole chap∣ter had been controverted, I might neverthelesse say, that this, or that truth is not onely intimated, but plainely exprest in it, as the first bodily resurrection is plainely exprest in ver. 4, 5. not∣withstanding the disagreement of expositours about it. And as the deliverance of the Jewes, the restoring of their Kingdome, and our Saviours personall reigne on eath, are all so plainely ex∣prest in the propheticall scriptures, as that nothing can be more plainely spoken; although the proper interpretation of them be called in question by most expositour••. Yea if we should say, that no more is plainely delivered in the scriptures, but that which is not controverted by any, what a small pittance of scripture should we acknowledge for plaine scripture? And doubtlesse you your selfe will say, that most of the texts controverted be∣twixt

Prot••ftants and Papists, and betwixt orthodoxe and here∣ticall Pro••est••nts are plaine texts: for difference in opinion, (for the most part) proceedes not so much from the obscurity of the text, as from the obsti••acy of such, who either out of pre∣judice, or ••elfe-conceit, or for self-ends, wrest it from the scope and purpose of the Holy Ghost to counter ance their private and perverse sancies. And whereas you say, [That Christians have given better warrants of their expositions, then Millenaries are able ••o doe.] The reader may well guesse at the soundnesse of these words, by the state of your charity. For as without any warrant you exclude all Millenaries from the communion of Christians: so the truth is, that we justifie our expositions, either by other scriptures, or by the coherence of the precedent and subsequ••nt verses, or by the plainnesse of the texts themselves, (which are un∣doubtedly the best warrants,) whereas you without any necessity enforcing thereto, do straine the words of the text from their pro∣per meaning: and so doe impose upon them a sense not minded by the Spirit of God, not warranted by other scriptures, and whereof they are scarcely, yea in many places not at all capable: as your answers doe sufficiently testifie against you.