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.

Courteous Reader,

THere was of late in this Kingdome one Mr. Mede, a grave and learned Divine of the University of Cambridge, who in his Treatises on the Revelation, (which he publisht to the world some yeares before his death,) doth plainely professe, that he held not onely the Jewes generall conversion, but their returne to their countrey too, and the thousand yeares reigne of Christ and the Saints on earth. Of which reigne as he hath a particular Tract, so in the fourth synchronisme of the second part of his Clavis Apocalyptica he shewes by infallible arguments, that it is to succeed the utter destruction of the Beast and false Prophet, and to contemporate with the 1000 yeares binding up of Satan; That it is, I say, to be in the time betwixt the destruction of the two Armies revealed in Rev. 19.20. which he there clearely proves to be two distinct Armies. Against this Authour while he lived no man moved his pen, although there was both time and opportunity to have done it, but fince his decease, (which is an usuall course with the enemies of the truth,) as there have been many, who have voted against him without answering any of his workes; so there have been some, who have undertaken to examine here and there a piece of his labours, amongst whom Mr. Petrie is one, who in pag. 14.60.61. of his answer to Israels Redemption, doth assay the confutation of two of Mr. Medes synchronismes. The first is the seventh synchronisme of the first part of Clavis Apocalyptica, which he thus encounters.

Mr. Petrie.

And here by the way we observe that the renowned Authour of Cla∣vis Apocalyptica is mistaken in his seventh synchronisme, wherein he saith, that the powring forth of the seven vials is contemporary with the end of the Beast and Babylon.

Answer.

He saith indeed that they contemporate with the ending, that is, with the declining estate, with the totall destruction of the Beast and Babylon, which the vials shall by their severall plagues gradually bring to passe; but not that they doe all contemporate with the very end, with the last moment of the Beast and Baby∣lon, which is proper onely to the powring out of the last viall. For then shall great Babylon come in remembrance before God, to give

unto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath, as it is re∣vealed, Rev. 16.19. And then shall the Army in Armageddon be destroyed, and the Beast and false Prophet taken in battell, and cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone, as it is declared Rev. 19.20.

Mr. Petrie.

For albeit it be said; chap. 15.2. That they who bad gotten the vi∣ctory over the Beast, sang the song of Moses, it followes not that the Beast was then destroyed.

Answer.

Surely it followes as well, that the Beast shall be destroyed when the song of Moses is sung by the conquerours of the Beast, as it doth that Pharaoh and his Host were destroyed, when it was sung by Moses and the Israelites. For seeing it is againe to be sung upon the like occasion, and not before; the destruction of the Beast must as necessarily precede the second singing of it, as the destruction of the Egyptians did the first. And this the fourth verse doth confirme, which shewes, that by reason of Gods judg∣ments which shall be made manifest unto the world at the sing∣ing of this song, All Nations together shall come and worship before the Lord, as the Prophets have said, and as Saint Paul doth inti∣mate by the comming in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles, Rom. 11.25. which thing cannot come to passe, while Satan the deceiver of the Nations is at liberty, and the Beast and false prophet, his instruments, are subsisting.

Mr. Petrie.

Neither albeit the first and fift and last vials be powred on the Beast, followeth it that they were not powred till the last time of the destru∣ction of the Beast; seeing the Saints in heaven, (and on earth too,) may rejoyce for their particular victory over the Beast as yet reigning, and the vials may be powred on the Beast at severall times, even some of them on the Beast in the height of her pride to the end that men may have warnings of the judgements of God on the Beast in her greatest pompe.

Answer.

This also followes, as the 1 verse of the 15 chapter doth wit∣nesse, where the seven vials are called the seven last plagues: and why are they called so, but because they were not to be powred out till the last time, the time of the destruction of the Beast?

Impossible then it is, that these last plagues, these plagues which were to befall the Beast in her last time onely, should befall her [in the height of her pride, in her greatest pompe,] that is, long be∣fore her last time. For this is all one as if you had said, that the Beast then began to be destroyed, when she was most insensible of her destruction, when she had least cause to feare it. And therefore though [the Saints in heaven, (and on earth too,) may re∣joyce for their particular victory over the Beast as yet reigning;] yet doubtlesse they shall not sing Moses song of thanksgiving, for the utter overthrow of the Beast, before the Beast be utterly overthrowne. And though the vials were to be powred out at severall times, yet as in their orderly powrings out they were suddenly to succeed each other; so likewise they were all ap∣pointed to contemporate with the last time of the Beast onely.

Mr. Petrie.

And the rather may we judge so, that we finde such agreement in the principall termes of the seven trumpets, and seven vials; the second trumpet with the second viall; the third trumpet with the third viall; the fourth trumpet with the fourth viall; the fixt trumpet with the fixt viast; and the seventh trumpet with the seventh viall. Now see∣ing the first trumpet is of the same time with the beginning of the Beast, (as he saith synchro. 1. par. 2.) the first viall must be of that same time also; and all the other synchronismes and expositions of texts that are grounded on the seventh synchronisme of the first part are wrong.

Answer.

If there be such agreement betwixt the trumpets and vials, as you pretend; the trumpets cannot possibly contemporate with the whole time of the Beast, as you hold; seeing the vials containe the last plagues that are to befall the Beast, which could not beginne to be powred out while the Beast was to remaine in her height, and much lesse could they beginne to be powred out as soone as the Beast began. Whensoever therefore the trum∣pets were to beginne, sure I am that there is not that agreement betwixt the trumpets and vials, as you imagine. For as the ef∣fects of the first and fift trumpets and vials agree not, so neither doe the effects of the third, fourth, and fixt. For at the sounding of the third trumpet, the third part of the rivers and fountaines of waters doe become so bitter, that men dye of them because they are made

bitter. Whereas at the powring out of the third viall, the rivers and fountaines of waters are turned into bloud. And at the sounding of the fourth trumpet, the third part of the Sunne, Moone, and Starres is smitten with darkenesse; whereas the fourth viall is pow∣red on the Sunne onely, and power given him (thereby) to scorch men with fire, so that by reason of their great heat, they blaspheme the Name of God, which hath power over these plagues. And at the soun∣ding of the fixt trumpet, the foure Angels bound in the great river Euphrates are loosed, who with an extraordinary and miraculous Ar∣my destroy the third part of men; whereas at the powring out of the fixt viall, this river is dried up, that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared, and the Kings of the earth and of the whole world are then also drawne together to the battell of the great Day of God Almighty by the Satanicall delusion of the Beast and false Prophet. Which Army is destroyed by the plague of the seventh viall, and not in the time of the fixt viall. And therefore there is no such agreement in the principall termes of the seven trumpets and seven vials, as will either conclude, that they are of the same time, or that all the other synchronismes and expositions of texts that are grounded on the seventh synchronisme of the first part, are wrong.

Mr. Petrie.

Which I marke because the late Millenaries have been moved by the appearance of these synchronismes, to embrace this opinion.

Answer.

The many proofes and prophecies which we alledge out of the Prophets, the Evangelists, the Acts, and the Epistles, as well as out of the Revelations, doe abundantly testifie, what moved us to embrace this opinion. Even the same authority which mo∣ved this renowned Authour to embrace it, and to take so much paines for the confirmation of it.

The fift Synchronisme of the second part followes, whose ar∣guments Mr. Petrie thus proposeth and answereth.

The first Argument.

FIrst, he saith, Doe not these words, Qui Bestiam non adorave∣rant—shew, that this Kingdome of Christ did succeed unto the Beast, his image, and them that were marked with his marke? For

why should it be said of the sonnes of that Kingdome, that they had not worshipped the Beast, unlesse the Beast had gone before? And truely, the good office goeth before the reward in time, &c.

Mr. Petrie's Answer.

1. Our former translation is more consonant unto the Greeke, which saith, They did not worship the Beast, which is not the plusquamper∣fect time, but so, that at the same time, the Beast is deceiving the world, and the children of God doe not worship the Beast. 2. The reward of them who worship not the Beast is in heaven, and they follow the Lambe, whithersoever he goeth.

Reply.

1. Whether it be rendred, They did not worship the beast, or They had not worshipped the beast: the difference is not materiall. For if it followes from this last transtation, that the Kingdome of Christ spoken of in Revel. 20. succeedes the Kingdome of the Beast: it will follow as well from the first translation. For doubtlesse, They that did not worship the beast, had not worshipped the beast. And indeed though it be true, [That at the same time, the beast is deceiving the world, and the children of God doe not worship the beast] Yet it is not true, that the children of God are to receive their reward for not worshipping the beast at the same time, in which they do not worship the beast. And therefore seeing this vision did represent unto St. John the reward of the Saints for not worshipping the beast, it must needes succeed the time in which the beast had power to torment them for not worshipping of him.

2. That reward which the soules of them, who worship not the beast, are to receive while their bodies are in the graves, is in heaven. But the reward which is presently to follow the resur∣rection of their bodies at our Saviours appearing, is to be with him on this earth for the space of a 1000 yeares and upwards, as the contents of Revel. 20. doe shew.

The second Argument.

This appeares yet more fully by the song of the Elders, and beasts, sung at the destruction of Babylon, chap. 19.6. Hallelujah, for the Lord God Almighty reigneth, &c.

Mr. Petrie's Answer.

When the Bohemians saw the Armies of the Pope and the Empe∣perours, turning their backes at the tench of Ziscah's drumms, had

they not just reason to sing Hallelujah: for the Lord God Almighty reigneth, let us rejoyce, &c. And so may the godly at every victory o∣ver the Popish Armies, even before the resurrection.

Reply.

No doubt but the Bohemians had great reason to rejoyce, and to praise God, when they say the Armies of their enemies flye at the sound of Ziscah's drumme. But yet as I cannot thinke, that those Bohemians were represented by the great multitude which Saint John heard sing the hymne, Rev. 19.6, 7. or that they did then sing this hymne: so I know, that this hymne of praise is not referred by the Holy Ghost, as you referre it, to every parti∣cular victory over the Popish Armies; but onely to the victory immediately recorded in the same chapter: which is the victory which Christ himselfe shall have over the beast and false prophet, when at his descending from heaven to enter his Kingdome on earth, he shall cast them alive into the lake of fire. And there∣fore your application of the story of Ziscah's drumme to this ar∣gument, is a very ridiculous answer.

The third argument.

But most of all clearely in chap. 11. ver. 15, 36. &c. where at the sound of the seventh trumpet, the dayes of the witnesses, and the mouthes of the Beast and Nations being out-runne, were great voices in heaven, saying, The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord, &c. This is the consummation of the myste∣ry of God foretold by the Prophets.

Mr. Petrie's Answer.

This indeed is the consummation of all the promises foretold by the Prophets and Apostles: and therefore it is not to be understood of any earthly Kingdome seeing th•• full accomplishment of the prophecies is not on earth. And so this synchronisme being false, all the like synchro∣nismes, and all expositions following upon them must faile with it.

Reply.

This argument shewes, that the Kingdomes of this world are to become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ, at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, and not before. That is, at the time of our Saviours descending from heaven, at which time the reigne of the beast shal end. And consequently it provs first, that this reigne of Christ must needes follow the reigne of the beast, seeing it

beginnes not till his appearing, by which the Beast shall be ut∣terly destroyed. And secondly it proves, that this reigne must needes be on earth, seeing the Kingdomes which shall then be∣come his, are the Kingdomes of this world. And thirdly, it proves, that the time in which these Kingdomes shall become Christs, cannot possibly be the time in which he shall deliver up his Kingdome to the Father, seeing they shall then cease to be his. And so the time of our Saviours reigne over them must needes be the interim, the time betwixt the reigne of the Beast, and the delivering up of his Kingdome to the Father. To these consequences you had nothing to say; and therefore you catch at these words which follow the argument, to wit, [This is the consummation of the mystery of God foretold by the Prophets,] which you thus pervert. [This indeed is the consummation of all the promi∣ses foretold by the Prophets and Apostles: and therefore it is not to be understood of any earthly Kingdome.] But surely as the mystery of God foretold by the Prophets, and recorded chap. 10. ver. 7. is meant onely of Christs reigne on earth at his next appearing, when the Kingdomes of this world are to become his: so you can shew us no promise either in the writings of the Prophets or Apostles, which after the resurrection of mens bodies, is to be enjoyed by them in heaven, in your sense: that is, in a place of glory sepa∣rate from the earth. For as the raised Saints that are to come with Christ shall be on this earth all the time of his reigne; so at the delivering up of his Kingdome to the Father, the whole number of the elect shall be with him in the new Jerusalem, (which is the Paradise of God,) on the new earth whither it shall then descend. And so this synchronisme being true, all the like synchronismes, and all expositions following upon them, must be true also.