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.

Israel's Redemption.

For that by Christs judging the quicke and the dead, [ 86] mentio∣ned in 2 Tim. * 1.1 4. cannot be meant one kind of judgement, to wit, the sentence of damnation; that by his judging the quicke, I say, cannot at all be meant the last and compleat, but rather a former and inchoate judgement of ungodly men, it appeares out of Rev. 20. where it is shewne, that the Saints enemies shall be all slaine before the last resurrection. And we cannot say, that these which are to be left, shall be a part of that Army there spoken of; be∣cause that God and Magog is to be destroyed at the end of our Sa∣viours reigne, that is, immediately before the last resurrection: whereas these shall be alive, at the time of that generall distresse, which shall light on the world, at his entrance into that appoin∣ted Kingdome, as the gathering together of the elect, who are to reigne with him doth declare.

Mr. Petrie's Answer.

Here (as before) are strange imaginations. 1. That text 2 Tim. 4.1. cannot be meant of the last, but a former judegment. Who ever said be∣fore, that Christ shall yet appeare twice to judge the quicke and the dead? For suppone, that onely the godly shall be raised at Christs com∣ming, yet they will not say, that he shall judge them, seeing they say, that they shall not stand at the barre. 2. The judging of the quicke and the dead, shall be before the time of the last resurrection, as that forme of arguing imports: whereby it followes, that Christ shall judge the quicke and the dead in a former and inchoate judgement. Who shall re∣maine then to be judged in the compleate judgement at the last resurre∣ction? 3. I will say no more of that fancy concerning these that shall belefs, and the destruction at the entrance of that Kingdome: but marke that Gog and Magog is to be destroyed at the end of our Savi∣ours reigne, that is, immediately before the last resurrection, or (which is one) after the reigne of the Jewes. But that Army of God and Ma∣gog is the same with the Army mentioned in Revel. 16.14. as Napeir proveth, Prop. 32. And Mr. Maton proveth in his treatise of Gog and Magog, pag. 94, 95. And I have shewed before, that the sixt vi∣all mentioned in Revel. 16.12, 13, 14. is the same with the sixt trum∣pet: yea, and Clavis Apocalyp. in par. 1. synchro. 7. makes it to concurre with the destruction of the Beast and Babylon, which shall be before the Monarchy of the Jewes, as the Millenaries hold: and there∣fore in this point Mr. Maton is contrary to himselfe, and to Clavis Apocal. as well as unto Christians, who deny that Monarchy of the Jewes. Whereby it is manifest, that what he speakes here without reason must be wrong, and amended by these reasons which he hath lo. cit. And consequently, that great battell shall be fought not after, but before the Jewes shall reigne, if ever they shall reigne in that manner.

Reply.

The truth is strange to none, but to such as make themselves strange to it. He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods, said the Athenians of Saint Pauls preaching unto them Jesus and the re∣surrection, Acts 17.18. When as indeed their Gods were the strange Gods, and not his God: they in an errour, and not he. And yet how strange soever our former imaginations doe seeme to you, we have shewed that they are not so strange as true. And that these words doe bring such strange things to your eares, was

not the fault of the Authour, but the errour of the Printer, and the over-hastinesse of the Stationer, who sent his bookes abroad before he had received a copie of all the faults: whereof the words here omitted were the greatest, and are to be corrected, as they are now set downe, to wit, thus. (For that by Christs jud∣ging the quicke and the dead, mentioned 2 Tim. 4.1. cannot be meant one kinde of judgement, to wit, the sentence of damnation: that by his judging the quicke, I say, cannot at all be meant, the last and compleat; but rather a former and inchoate judgement of ungodly men; it ap∣peares out of Rev. 20. where it is shewne, that the Saints enemies shall be all slaine, before the last resurrection.) This is the true forme of my words, and in this forme they doe wholly disanull the two first parts of your answer; for the destroying of the Army in Ar∣mageddon at Christs comming, Rev. 19. and of the Nations that shall againe be gathered against him and his, at the end of his reigne, Rev. 20. are temporall judgements on the ungodly; and before their last judgement, the judgement after their resurrecti∣on. And therefore Christ shall not appeare twice to judge the quicke and the dead, but shall twice judge these ungodly after his ap∣pearing. That is, once by a former and inchoate judgement in their temporall destruction, (in their first death:) And againe by a finall and compleate judgement in their eternall destruction, (in their second death.) And as for the third part of your an∣swer, it is but a slanderous information against me. For I say not that the G••g and Magog mentioned in Rev. 20. is the same with the Army mentioned Rev. 16.14. but that Ezekiels Gog and Magog is the same with that Army, as the reasons which I alledge pag. 94, 95. doe shew. And I say that the Gog and Ma∣gog in Rev. 20. is a different Gog and Magog from Ezekiels, as these words, pag. 128 doe witnesse. [And this Gog and Magog in Rev. 20. is to be the multiplyed posterity of those that are left of the Nations at the beginning of the thousand yeares: when the Army of the Beast and false Prophet, and of the Kings of the earth, and of the whole world, (who as the parallell shewes are the Gog and Magog fore∣told by Ezekiel) shall be destroyed in Armageddon.] And againe pag. 129. I say, [That the Nations which shall oppose the Jewes at their expected returne, are to be the Gog and Magog foretold by Eze∣kiel: and that the posterity of those which shall be left alive of these Na∣tions,

when this Gog and Magog is destroyed, shall be the Gog and Magog foretold in Rev. 20. to arise when the thousand yeares peacefull reigne is finished.] Whereby it is manifost, that against your owne knowledge, you have misreported the evidence of my reasons, and charged me with a contradiction of your owne devising. And as it is very false, that I am in this point contrary to my selfe, so it is as false, that I am herein contrary to Clavis Apocal. For the fourth synchronisme of the 2 part doth infallibly prove that the Army of the Nations mentioned Revel. 20. is to be a di∣stinct Army from that in Rev. 16. whose destruction is revealed, chap. 19. The words inferred upon the second argument of this synchronisme, pag. 26. are these. Marke here reader, the chroni∣call character; by which it is intimated, that this whatsoever it is con∣cerning Satan, being taken and condemned after his second loosing, it succecdeth the vision of the former chapter concerning the Beast and false Prophet, being vanquished, taken, and thereupon cast into the lake burning with fire and brimstone, by him which sate upon the white horse, as in order of narration, so also in the time of the thing done. For otherwise it should not have been said, that Satan was sent thither, where both the Beast and false Prophet were, except both the Beast and false Prophet had been sent thither first. Neither can any man of judgement say by way of evasion, that this warre (of chap. 20.) after a thousand yeares, is not different from that of the former chapter; when as not onely the character already brought, but also all circumstances on both sides are repugnant; the parties, the battell, and the manner of the slaughter, there with the sword, here with fire; yea and the event of either warre unlike, as anon the matter being demonstrated, shall be made plaine, there the binding of Satan onely for a time, but here a condemnation to eternall fire, &c. And Clav. Apocal. in par. 1. synchro. 7. doth speake nothing of the Gog and Magog in Rev. 20. but of the utter destruction of the Beast and Babylon at the effu∣sion of the last viall.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 2.8. &c. Psal. 110.2. &c. Ps. 149.6. &c. Isai. 30.25. Cha. 66.15, 16. &c.