The Glorious Kingdom of Christ, Chapter 1
Chap. I. The Kingdom of Chriſt, as deſcribed by the S. Scriptures.
BEing by Mr. T. Beverleys importunate requeſts and challenges, and his heavy Accuſation of Diſſenters from him as Semi-Sadduces of the Apoſtaſie, urged to give an account of the Reaſons of my diſſent from Him and others of the Millenary Judgment, it is meet that I firſt tell him what I take for the true Scripture Doctrine of the Kingdom of Chriſt, which I am to defend. Premiſing my deſire to the Reader, that he will firſt read as preſuppoſed Truth, the Judicious Treatiſe of my dear Brother Mr. John Corbet, of The Kingdom of God with Men: And Cluverus his Arguments againſt the Millennium.
I. GOD made Man in his own Image (Natural,Gen. 1. 26, 27. & 9. 6. Moral,1 Cor. 11. 7. and of Supereminence) in Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, and true Holineſs;Col. 3. 10. to know, love, and obey his Creator: Therefore they err that ſay, Adam had no Spiritual Holineſs, and did no Act of Holineſs and Obedience before his Fall: For elſe he had lived in great and conſtant ſin: For it could be no better for him, not to eſteem God to be the chief Good, and amiable Object; or not to Love him whom he knew to be the beſt; or not to ſerve and obey him whom he knew to be his Creator.
In this ſtate God was to Govern him as a righteous Subject, by the Law which obliged him to Perſonal, Perfect, Perpetual Obedience; revealed partly by the Creation, and partly by expreſs prohibitions and commands.
II. Upon Mans Fall and Forfeiture,Gen. 3. 13, 14, 15, 16. GOD firſt pronouncing part of the penalty which he would inflict,Eccleſ. 7. 29. declared his Decree ſo far to forgive the reſt of the penalty,Hoſ. 13. 9. as to reprieve and yet continue his faln Creature;Exod. 34. 7. and to give them a Redeemer that ſhould overcome the Serpent that had overcome Man,Pſal. 86. 5. and to make him the Captain of Salvation,Mat. 28. 19. and to put faln Man, and all things, and power into his hand, for the accompliſhing of this Recovering work, for the glorifying of his Love and Mercy thereby. The eternal foreign, the Second Perſon in the Trinity, being deſigned to this great undertaking.
III. Whether this Eternal Word,Deut. 29. 29. did firſt unite it ſelf to the Prime Being of the Creation?Joh. 3. 5 6, 7. And whether that Prime Being was the Univerſal Soul of the World,This is written with relation to the Writings of Mr. Sterry, Dr. More. Mr. …. Turner, Mr. Beverley, &c. which I would not be too peremptory in my oppoſing. or there were any ſuch Univerſal Soul,Rom. 11. 33. ſave God that is more than a Soul,Jo… 5. 9. & 40 & 41. & 42. or it be not univerſal, but yet of the higheſt Created Species,… of the World. and had any cauſality in the creation or production of the reſt of the World? and whether it (and the World, as Ariſtotle thought) was (except revolutions and alterations) an eternal Effect of an eternal firſt Cauſe, and many ſuch caſes about the Original of Souls, are queſtions that God having not clearly decided by Natural or Scripture Light, I cannot peremptorily decide, but am loſt in difficulties when I attempt it.
IV. Till the Incarnation of Chriſt,Exod. 34. 6, 7, 8. the World was Governed by God, as the God of Mercy and Redemption; by a Regiment of Grace;Gen. 3. 15. which may be called the Kingdom of Chriſt,Prov. 1. & 3. & 8. as Chriſt was the undertaker of future Redemption:Rom. 2. 4, 7. And the World being all under a pardoning Law of Grace,Heb. 11. 26. that alloweth Repentance on hope of Mercy; God dealt with none upon the meer terms of the Law of Perfection or Innocence; which ceaſed ceſſante capacitate ſubditorum: Be innocent and live, or ſin and die, is not the Law that any are judged by.
V. God that firſt made this Law of Grace to Faln Mankind in Adam and Eve, Gen. 9.renewed it to all in Noah.
VI. Abraham pleaſing God above others by Faith and full Obedience,Gen. 22. 15. & 26. 5, 24. God choſe him to be the Father of a Peculiar People,Rom. 4. 3, 9. promiſing him that his Seed ſhould be multiplied into an eminent Policy,Gal. 3. 8, 24. and that the Saviour Incarnate ſhould be of his Seed,Heb. 11. 8, 17. in whom all the Nations of the Earth ſhould be bleſſed:Jam. 2. 23. Not ending the Law of Grace to the reſt of the World, but priviledging Abrahams Seed with the ſtate of peculiarity.
VI. By Moſes God brought Abrahams Seed into the promiſed Political State, and gave them a Law to be a Rule to their Political Governours,Moſes, the Prophets and Chriſt Mat. 5. atteſt all this. when to puniſh, and in what ſort and degree: And God being their Abſolute Soveraign, and their Government a Theocracy, he reſerved to himſelf the Power of Legiſlation in all the neceſſary parts, and the choice of their Chief Rulers under him. And what the Magiſtrate failed to puniſh according to his Law, he would puniſh himſelf. This Law was but the Rule of their Obedience, ſuppoſing them Believers of the Promiſe to Abraham, juſtified by Faith: But the carnal Jews were ſo taken up with the outward Ceremonies and Works, that they loſt the underſtanding of that Juſtifying Promiſe, and the very uſe of all the Types and Ceremonies, and thought to be Juſtified by the bare Works or doing of what the Law required of them as their duty. And becauſe God had not done ſo by any other Nation, they were proud of their Law, and yet only outwardly obeyed it.
VIII. In the fulneſs of Time the Meſſiah came Incarnate (after 4000 years) And then that which before was only in Decree,Mat. 3. 15. & 5. 17. became a Law of Mediation or Redemption,Gal. 4. 4, 5. or a Covenant between the Father and the Son in Fleſh;Heb. 4. 15. & 9. 14. Chriſt being obliged in Habit,1 Pet. 1. 19. Act and Suffering, to do all impoſed for the Recovery of Man,Phil. 2. 7, 8, 9, 10. and for this was to be King and Lord of all, and having finiſhed his undertaken work, to reign for ever as God-Man with the Glorified recovered Society as his reward in Heaven for ever.Mat. 28. 19. And all power to this End was given to him,John 17. 3, 4. and all Judgment or Government committed to him,John 5. 22, 23, 26, 27. to be exerciſed on lapſed Man for Recovery, the Father judging no man, as meer Creator of Innocent Man, till this work is done.
IX. When Chriſt Incarnate came the King came from Heaven,Luke 19. 34. and therefore John Preached that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand,Jo. 18. 37. and Chriſt firſt preached that it was come and was among them;Rev. 17. 14. that is,Jo. 1. 49. The King promiſed from Heaven to Rule the World for their Salvation.Col. 1. 13. And when he had firſt wrought Miracles enough to prove it,Mat. 12. 28. & 21. 43. that Faith might not be precarious,Mar. 1. 15. and built upon his bare affirmation,Luke 7. 28. & 9. 27. & 10. 9. & 11. 20. & 13. 18, 19, &c. & 17. 20, 21. & 21. 31. 22. 16, 18. he openly claimed firſt the Kingdom of Judea, as of the Line of David, and cauſed the people to applaud him with Hoſanna's.
But being to Redeem us as a Sacrifice by his Blood, and to Conquer Death, and confirm his Goſpel, by Dying and Riſing again, he oft foretold all this to his Diſciples, and the rejecting of him by the Jews,Rom. 14. 17, 18. and their Nations, Cities and Temples ruin for it, and his purpoſe to ceaſe the Moſaical Politie,Rev. 12. 10. and to make his Church more Great and Catholick by the Calling of the Gentiles;Mat. 10. 7. eſpecially the Roman Empire.
X. At his Reſurrection he took more ſolemn poſſeſſion of his Kingly Government.Mat. 28. 19. And firſt Commiſſioned the Twelve Apoſtles whom he had before made Preachers to the Jews,Mark 16. 16, 17. to continue their Miniſtry to them (in a number related to the Twelve Tribes) till Perſecution ſhould expel them,Mat. 23. 37. and then to do their beſt to make all Nations (as ſuch) his Diſciples,Rom. 11. 20, 23, 24, 25, 26. Baptizing them (as the Entrance into his Kingdom) into the Name of the Father,Rev. 11. 15. the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt, and there teaching them to obſerve all his Commands delivered to thoſe Apoſtles, and promiſing to be with them to the End of the World.
XI. By this and more it appeareth that a great triumphant Kingdom on Earth,Rev. 11. 17. & 19. 6. and National Churches, which are nothing but Chriſtian Kingdoms, was at firſt in Chriſts Intention, though the Embrio and Infancy anteceding, it was to be firſt in Execution: For he commanded the Diſcipling of Nations, and would have gathered Jeruſalem, and not cut them off, nor taken the Kingdom of God from them, but for their unbelief.Acts 1. 25. And the number of Twelve was by Matthias to be made up,Mar. 28. 20. to ſhew their relation to the Jews National Church State, till Perſecution drove them to the Gentiles, and then Paul and Barnabas were added.
The Apoſtles have Succeſſors in all the parts of their Office, which is to be continued to the End, but not in the parts that were extraordinary, peculiar and temporary.
XII. Chriſt by the Holy Ghoſt (which he promiſed to ſend to be his powerful Agent) propagated a holy Generation,John 14. 16, 26. & 15. 26. & 16. 17. and by his Meſſengers Preaching (his Reſurrection and Kingdom eſpecially) and the Miracles which they wrought,Acts 2. 37, 38. & 21. 20. he confirmed his Goſpel;Rev. 7. And Converted quickly many Myriads of the Jews, and after far greater numbers of the Gentiles: Thus preparing materials or ſubjects for his more viſible Kingdom of Power on Earth; Himſelf reigning over all in Heaven.
XIII. That his Subjects might know the Nature and Terms of his Covenant and Government (which was to bring them to a Heavenly Kingdom) he not only required their Covenant-Conſent to forſake the Fleſh and this World,Luke 14. and the Devil,Rom. 8. 29. for that Eternal Life which he had promiſed them,Rom. 8. 17. but he was pleaſed to put them on the actual exerciſe of this agreement,1 Theſ. 2. 5. & 2 Theſ. 1. 6. 11. and to try their ſincerity,2 Tim. 2. 12. & 3. 12. by putting them often upon Sufferings and Martyrdom:Rev. 2. 10. And therein he exerciſed his Heavenly Power, in ſtrengthening them, and making them more than Conquerors, while they went as Sheep to the ſlaughter; to the honour of their Lord and Faith, and the confuſion of their Perſecutors.
XIV. Yet did he ſo over-power the Spirits of the Pagan Perſecutors, that of Forty Emperors, there were at moſt but ten that perſecuted them; ſo that in this Captivity and Wilderneſs ſtate by their liberty their numbers ſo increaſed that they became a conſiderable party in their Dominions and Armies.
XV. Of all theſe Perſecutors,The Roman Hiſtory is the full proof of this. the Cruelleſt were Nero, Domitian, Maximinus and Decius, but far above all, the laſt, who were ſeven together (Diocleſian, Max. Herculius, Max. Galerius, Max. Daya, Severus, Licinius, Maxentius, (and Conſtantius not wholly innocent) The cruelty of their Tormentors, and the great numbers Tormented and Martyred, is frightful even to read: By all which Chriſt ſhewed his Heavenly Power, in the terrible puniſhment of all their Perſecutors: Firſt in the dreadful deſtruction of the curſed part of the Jews; who were by Veſpaſian and Titus ſo deſtroyed that 110000 of them were killed, and about 700000 Captivated: And their State, City and Temple overthrown, and ſaith Origen and Chryſoſtom, it is certain that they ſhall never (that is, the Infidels) return to that Land.
And afterwards by Trajan and Adrian, in revenge of the Murders of Barcocheba an Antichriſt, near as many more were killed; which muſt needs leave the Infidels few in ſo ſmall a Land, when London is ſuppoſed not to have near one Million of Inhabitants.
And as to the great Pagan Empire,The Revelation and the Roman Hiſtory compared, prove this, and expound each other. (the greateſt that ever the World had) Chriſt rode on the White Horſe againſt them Conquering, and executed on them all the Plagues gradually numbered in the Apocalypſe, the Seals, the Trumpets, the Vials, till he had utterly overcome them and all their Confederates: He dealt ſo ſeverely with them, that of Forty Emperors there were ſcarce ten or ſeven that died without Murder a natural death: But they were ſtill in Bloody Wars with other Nations, and with one another, ſo that [The Beaſt that was, and Is not, and yet Is,] became a fit deſcription of their State: As notably ſuited to Domitian at firſt, and to Diocleſian, Herculius, and their Fellows at laſt, ſo all along to the ordinary Succeſſion: To day there was an Emperor; the next day he was kill'd, and there was None; And yet another preſently ſucceeded him, and ſo there is one again; The Soldiers ſelling the Empire to him that would give moſt for it, or was likeſt to advance them. How dreadful a deſtruction did Chriſt by one Conſtantine bring on the ſeven Heads and ten Horns at laſt, in a very little time. So that Heaven and Earth triumphed with Joyful Praiſe that Babylon was fallen, and the Kingdoms of the World were become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Chriſt, and he had taken to himſelf his great Power and had reigned, and was ſetting up the New Jeruſalem (as a Fifth Monarchy) the Embrio of the Coeleſtial Jeruſalem in its viſible Reigning Power. I am none of thoſe that will ſecure Papal Rome from an anſwerable Name, and Guilt, and Fate: But he that will convince me that Pagan Rome was not the Babylon there meant, or that it is not fallen, muſt firſt convince me that he is of more credible Authority than the Apocalypſe.
XVI. O how great a change was it for poor Chriſtians throughout all the Empire,Read Euſibius Eccl. Hiſt. L. 8. & Rev. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, & 19. And the Prophets that proclaim it a great deliverance to the Iſraelites, to have their Mountains again Inhabited, and their Cities Built. to be brought from Scorn and Torments, and the Martyrdom of many Thouſands, after 294 years Captivity, to be ſuddenly made Freemen, to celebrate Chriſts Worſhip in the moſt Solemn Aſſemblies, and to be made Lords of their Perſecuting, Captivating, Idolatrous Enemies, lately ſo great that no Nations could ſtand before them. Who did the Godly deſire ſhould be in Power, rather their Biſhops that came newly out of the Furnace of Tryal? O what a change! O what a joyful day! And ſhall the ſucceſs of the Devil, that quickly ſowed the Tares of Covetouſneſs, Pride and Contention among the Clergy and Laity, tempt us to undervalue Gods great mercy to his Church which Angels and Saints gave him ſo much praiſe for. Emperours alſo had their odious Crimes; even Conſtantine killed his Eldeſt Son Criſpus, and after his Step-mother for accuſing him, and baniſhed Athanaſius: Shall we therefore be unthankful for a Chriſtian Empire, which was Chriſts own Viſible Kingdom?
Theodoſius killed the Theſſalonians: Arcadius baniſhed holy Chryſoſtom-Theodoſius the ſecond, a Saint, was called an Eutychian, and ſo of others. David committed Murder and Adultery: Solomon was a Monſter of Luſt and Voluptuouſneſs, and at laſt of Revolt to favour Idols; yet were they the peculiar Kings of Gods peculiar People; and few better followed them.
All this ſheweth that Chriſt all this while Reigned, and left it not wholly to the Reſurrection, to make his Enemies his footſtool.
XVII. It is not unlikely that this delivered,Mr. Potter, and many Proteſtant expoſitors … Rev. 20. 21, 22. to ſpeak of the Church on Earth. exalted ſtate of the Church (though after corrupted by Temptation to Pride) was the New Jeruſalem in the Embrio, of which Conſtantinople was the Capital Seat, as the Porch or Infancy of the heavenly City of God, and that one as the Infant Heir, and the other as the Poſſeſſor of the Inheritance, is deſcribed in Rev. 20. 21. 22. But of this more fully elſewhere.
XVIII. The Dragon being bound up a Thouſand years from the Churches deliverance (from Conſtantines Edict to the Ottoman Empire) the Church after grew corrupted: And Papal Rome imitated Pagan Rome, Rev. 20. 5, 6, 7, 9.though under more plauſible names and pretences, and exceeded them in Cruelty. And Mahomet the Eaſtern Antichriſt, compaſſed and conquered Conſtantinople the holy City; and Chriſts revenge on Gog and Magog, the Turk and Tartarian (with the reſt of the Infidel World) are yet to come, and therefore dark.
XIX. At the end of this World,2 Pet. 3. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. which ſhall be burnt with fire, God will make a New Heaven and Earth; in which ſhall dwell righteouſneſs without ſin. And all things ſhall be reſtored,Rom. 8. 19, 20, 21. and the Creature delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God. How God will people this New Earth, he hath not told us; whether by Creation, as by Adam, or by Tranſmigration: Nor yet how long it ſhall continue, unleſs for ever as part of the endleſs Kingdom.Fully proved after, Mat. 25. Scripture giveth us no confinement of it to a Thouſand years, but the contrary.
XX. Chriſts Glorious Appearance and Judgment, will be both the triumphant concluding parts of the Kingdom of Redemption, and Grace, which he will deliver up when his Recovering work is done: And the beginning of the Kingdom of Glory: In which, as his Reward, he will for ever in Humane Nature be glorified, as the Mediator of Fruition, as he was of Acquiſition; and that in the Heavens. His coming in the Air is not there to Reign a Thouſand years, but preſently to Judge the World, as in Matth. 25. he deſcribeth it: And to confine his Kingdom in Humane Nature, and ours with him to a Thouſand years, and confine it to the Air, and the ſurvivers on Earth, is a fiction full of contradictions, diſhonourable to Chriſt and his Kingdom, uncomfortable to his Church.
XXI. There is but one Thouſand years mentioned in Scripture, from whence they can fetch the leaſt ſhew for their limitation; and that is only in Rev. 20. But it is moſt evident that the Thouſand years there mentioned was to be before the Conflagration, and New Earth, and the Reſurrection: For it was to be before Satan was looſed, and before Gog and Magog, and their numberleſs Armies aſſaulted the Holy City; and before the fire from God came on them. And the Paradiſe reſtored State of the New Earth, in which dwelleth Righteouſneſs, is not conſiſtent with ſo much wickedneſs of the Inhabitants, and Satans Power over the Nations: Nor with a Laodicean Lukewarmneſs, and danger of being ſpued out. They therefore that well expect a Thouſand years Reign before the Reſurrection, have no pretence to expect another Millennium after.
XXII. To expect a Thouſand years, and that after the Fall of Papal Rome, before the Reſurrection, is a ſuppoſition that this World will endure a far longer time than Chriſtians have hitherto believed: And that the great Sabbatiſm is to be before the New Earth: And what a Sabbatiſm that will be, the deſcription of Gog and Magog, and of their Laodicea, may tell you: Far unlike a Paradiſe ſtate, when all things ſhall be reſtored, and the groaning Creation be delivered from the bondage of Corruption, into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God.
XXIII. They that aſſign this Thouſand years on this ſide the Conflagration and Reſurrection, for the ſetting up a Fifth Monarchy of the Converted Jews at Jeruſalem, are the groſſeſt feigners of all the reſt. Well did Jerom ſay, That the Millenaries fetch their Errour from the Jews, and would ſet up Judaiſm by it. (He that dwelt ſo long at Bethlehem knew the Jews Opinions.) For (to paſs by what elſe is after to be ſaid) Their very Fiction is a contradiction. Were our Jews converted, they would in leſs than a Hundred years be no longer a Jewiſh Nation: For their ſtate of peculiarity with the Moſaical Policy is aboliſhed by Chriſt, and muſt never be reſtored: And they muſt and would marry with Gentile Chriſtians, and fall into the Catholick Church as Rivers into the Sea, and loſe the name of Jews: So did their converted Predeceſſors.
XXIV. And ſeeing it is not like that our now Infidel Jews are one to a hundred of the Poſterity of the firſt believing Jews that have been propagated theſe ſixteen hundred years, why ſhould a glorious Monarchy be ſet up of this ſelf-curſed Remnant, excluding all the firſt-fruits, both the ſealed, Rev. 7. and all ſince? But if the Poſterity of all thoſe old holy Jews were now ſought for, to be ſent to Jeruſalem, not one man of them would be found and known; (of which more after.)
XXV. It is a marvel that the great diſagreement of the Millenaries among themſelves, yet hindereth not their ſeeming Concord, while they can but cry up the Thouſand years Reign, though moſt of them know not what the words mean. Some of them ſay, The Thouſand years are on Earth; and ſome ſay, They are only of the Souls of the Martyrs and Confeſſors in Heaven: Some ſay, They are both in Heaven, or in the Air, and on Earth at once. Some ſay, That they ſhall be a Jewiſh Monarchy at Jeruſalem; and ſome, That it ſhall be of the Godly all over the World. Some ſay, Chriſt will Reign there viſibly in his Humane Nature: Others, That he will only ſometime appear, as he did after his Reſurrection: And ſome, That he will Rule there only by Reforming Chriſtian Princes. Some hold but one Thouſand years, and ſome two, (one being after the other.) Some hold two New Jeruſalems, and ſome but one. Some ſay, That the Day of Judgment is the Thouſand years (and yet that Scripture hath not told us how long Chriſt will be Judging us.) And ſome, That it is only the Beginning and the End of the Thouſand years, that the Judgment will take up, and the reſt will be in other Government. Some think that Execution on Men and Devils will be but that Thouſand years; which ſome decry. Some think that the firſt Reſurrection, is from an Aereal Vehicle or Body into an Ethereal; and others that it is from earthly duſt to a heavenly body by tranſmutation of Elements: And others that it is to be a Paradiſe body, like Adams before he ſinned. Other differences ſeem almoſt reconciled to ſome, by the bare name of a Thouſand years Reign.
XXVI. It is a far more glorious Chriſtian Monarchy which Chriſt by Conſtantine ſet up, than moſt of the Millenaries give any probability of. 1. It was a Deliverance from the cruelleſt Perſecution. 2. And from the Dragons moſt potent Empire. 3. A Deliverance of all Chriſtians as well as of Jews. 4. Without confinement to the narrow Land of Iſrael. 5. A ſetting up of a National-Provincial Church in Judea. 6. With the great Charges of promoting it, by New Churches, Monaſteries, Bibles, Biſhops! What could he do more? The knowledge of what hath been done long ago, would have prevented many mens expectation of the ſame.
XXVII. If it prove that their Millennial Doctrine, and the Calling of the Jews, prove a meer miſtake, it will not be ſo ſmall as ſhould ſuſpend our detection of it. Becauſe it is an adding to Gods Word, and fathering on him many untruths, and ſo a taking of his name in vain; and a corrupting of his Worſhip while we preach, write and pray for that which we ought not (further than we muſt pray for the Converſion of all ſorts of men) and a turning of mens Zeal to promote untruths, and corrupt mens minds.
XXVIII. We find it ſo eaſie to poſſeſs men with a fervent Zeal for the Millenary Opinion, and ſo hard to make them zealous in holy Love to God and Man, and in a heavenly converſation, as may make us ſuſpicious that both ſorts of Zeal have not the ſame original: I am not willing to name ſome tremendous Inſtances of men nearly known to me, hereabout.
XXIX. Our worthy Brother that hath more Learnedly opened that Cauſe than any elſe that ever I read, by moderation hath brought the difference into ſo narrow a compaſs (in his Diatriba de ſigno filii hominis) that except, 1. The Calling of the Jews, 2. And the Extending of the Day of Judgment to a Thouſand years, and that the general Reſurrection and Judgment of the wicked, ſhall begin after the Thouſand years are expired, there remaineth to great and weighty diſagreement of ſuch with the Judgment of the Churches.
XXX. Seeing we aſcribe to Chriſts Kingdom ſo much more than they that we oppoſe, why ſhould they be thought to extol his Kingdom more than we? 1. Is not Eternity longer than a Thouſand years? 2. And Heaven a more glorious ſtate than the Air? 3. And a New Earth inhabited only by the righteous, better than one that is Laodicean, or that hath ſuch Enemies of Saints as Gog and Magog? 4. And this New Earth either everlaſting, or of undetermined time, better than one but of a Thouſand years duration, which is but with the Lord as One day, and about a ſixth part as durable as this corrupted World, that is under ſin and curſe? Is this Doctrine, or the other, more honourable to Chriſt, and more comfortable to Believers, and more evident in the Word of God?