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.

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Title
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.
Author
Maton, Robert, 1607-1653?
Publication
London :: Printed and are to be sold by John Hancock,
1652.
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Subject terms
Petrie, Alexander, -- 1594?-1662. -- Chiliasto-mastix.
Second Advent.
Millennium.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A50278.0001.001
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A50278.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 16, 2024.

Pages

Reply.

1. That our Saviours Kingdome is to be a distinct Kingdome, both in time and condition from the Kingdomes of this world, is a truth apparantly delivered in the scriptures. And for ought you have said to the contrary, we may still thinke, that these words of Christ doe in timate as much. For though you first de∣ny, [that these words doe distinguish betwixt the time of his King∣dome and other Kingdomes,] yet you presently give this sense to them your selfe, when you say, [My Kingdome is not from hence, that is, My Kingdome is at hand.] And therefore it was not then in the world; and if not then, sure I am, it hath not been yet: and so it is distinct in time too from other Kingdomes, as well as in condition. I say it hath not been yet, for what Kingdome of Christ hath been set up in the world since he spake these words, which was not in the world when he spake these words? Cer∣tainely his spirituall Kingdome was as much in the world at that time, though not spread so much over the world, as it hath been since. That Kingdome therefore, which you say was not then, but was at hand, is not yet come; as the testimonies which you have alledged to prove that it was then at hand, doe testifie a. gainst you also. For that text Matth. 16.28. doth speake of a Kingdome to beginne at Christs appearing, and not before it: of a Kingdome, I say, when the Sonne of man shall come, as it is in the same verse; and when the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of the Father with his Angels, as it is in the preceding verse. And therefore doubtlesse these words of our Saviour, Ve∣rely I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not tast of death, till they see the Sonne of man comming in his Kingdome, doe reveale a strange and extraordinary preservation of some then present, till Christs next appearing. For what doth the [com∣ming of the Sonne of man] signifie, but Christs descending from heaven? and why did he subjoyne these words to his speech, touching his comming in the glory of the Father with his Angels, but because they are meant of the same comming? And besides the Gospell had been before preacht, by the Baptist, by Christ himselfe, and by the Disciples; and not some, but all the Disci∣ples lived to see it preacht among the Gentiles also; and therefore

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the seeing of this could not be the meaning of our Saviours words. Thus then this first text doth shew, that the Kingdome of our Saviour is not yet come. And the other text Matth. 24.14. doth shew onely, That the Gospell of the Kingdome, (that is, which makes report of the Kingdome, or by which men are made par∣takers of the Kingdome of Christ,) should be preached in all the world before the end should come: that is, the end and destructi∣on of Jerusalem, as the subsequent verses doe declare; and not the end of the world, as you affirme. For would Christ, thinke you, have advised them to flye out of Judea into the mountaines, from his presence at the end of the world? Or how should it be worse for women with child, and for them that give sucke at his comming then for others? And now as for your exposition of these words, [My Kingdome is not from hence, that is, My King∣dome is at hand] I pray what interpreters doe you follow in it? or what colour have you for it? What! are [from hence,] and [at hand] all one? or is [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] an adverbe of time, or of place? Doubtlesse these words, My Kingdome is not from hence; are to be understood, as if Christ had said, My Kingdome is not from beneath, but from above. I am not to be made a King by the power of mortall men, but by the power of the immortall God onely. So that in his former words, My Kingdome is not of this world; the preposition [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] of, doth not indeed intimate any difference in time or condition betwixt our Saviours Kingdome and other Kingdomes, but in the cause and authour of them; which sense it carries in our Saviours word, Marth. 21.25. The baptismeo John whence was it, from heaven, or of men? and in the saying of Sint John 1 Epist. chap. 2. ver. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but, of the world. And thus, My Kingdom is not of this world, is no more but my Kingdome is not of men, if my Kingdome were of men, then would my Servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now is not my Kingdom from hence, from the men of this world.

2 You tell us next, [That if Christ had said, that in the time of his Kingdome, the Kingdome of the Romanes should be no Kingdome, they might have had more pretext for condemning him.] But surely Christ had no need to answer to that which was not askt: neither did the Romanes, but the Jewes desire his death: And

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yet as before he spake openly to the world, so now he spake plainely to Pilates demand too: for when Pilate said unto him, Art thou a King then? he answered, Thou sayest that I am, &c. Which forme of answering, was taken for an affirming of that which was askt. (And therefore where Saint Matthew writes, Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said, chap. 26. ver. 64. Saint Marke hath, And Jesus said, I am, chap. 14. ver. 62.) And doubtlesse Pilate by this answer tooke him for such a King to whom the Throne of Israel did belong, and yet he made it not a pretext to condemne him, but sought to deliver him. And it is false also to imagine, that the Kingdomes of this world shall not be taken out of the hands of their severall Governours, of their mortall Kings, when they shall become the Kingdomes of Christ himselfe, when they shall be governed by him, and the glorified Saints that shall come with him.

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