Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 7
Homesius denuo enervatus.
DR. Homes, Chiliastarum ille Achilles, that Sword and Buckler,—Tandem fit surculus arbor. that great Millenarian Champion, which hath printed a whole Book in folio of ten shillings price (to my cost I speak it, for I never paid so dear for so much wastepaper, and a great nothing in a Jugling-box) in defence of that fancy. Amongst one and fifty Proofs taken out of the Old Testament for the confirmation of his Tenet, hee produceth this of Amos, 9.11, 12, 13, 14, 15. for one; you see how directly he comes in my way, otherwise I had not stirred one step, nor indeavoured in the least any confutation of the Doctors Folio, which doth sufficiently shew its own folly without a Confuter; 'Tis like a Puppet stuft with Bumbaste,Some men have their guts in their heads, and their brains in their bellies Portentorum nidum gerunt in …ite. I may say of this Dr. as one saies of a finical empty Lawyer, he is homo in causis agendis bene Vestitus. in which there is neither life nor spirit. I have read of one that wrote a whole Sheet in the praise of a Louse; that indeed is an Ens, a living creature: But I never read nor heard of any that ever spent so many Sheets in Folio about this fancy and Chimaera Chimaerissima before. What Luther said of the Monks, is true of the Millenaries. Sicut Monastica religio nihil videt in Scripturis nisi cucullos: Ira Millenarii nihil vident in Scripturis nisi Phantasias. Corrupt heads, and corrupt hearts pick corrupt notions, and impure senses out of the pure word of God. Many in our daies, instead of solid food; do fill and feed themselves with golden dreams, and so resemble him that made the golden Legend, who is said to be a man Plumbei oris, ferrei cordis, avei frontis. 'Tis said of the Popish Priests, that they plead stoutly for Extream Unction, Ut ipsi evadant Unctiores, that they may the better lick their own fingers. I hope the Doctor had no aspiring thoughts, when he writ those High-flown-notions, but when I shall have shewed you how unlike Dr. Homes in 1651. was to Dr. Homes in 1641. we may well say there was some what of self at the bottome.
Quest. But what doth Dr. Homes think of such men?
A. He tells you in the year 1641. That for a man deliberately, and to please a Party, to wrest the sacred Word of God, is indirect blasphemy; and St. Austin calls it Heresie, Haereticus est, qui alicujus temporalis commodi causà, August, de Utilit. credendi. c. 7& maximè gloriae & principatûs falsas opiniones aeut gignit aut sequitur. I doubt we have too many such Augustinian Hereticks still.
This of the Man, let us now to the Matter.
This text in Amos (saith Dr. Homes) will prove (for to that end he cites it) that all the Saints departed shall rise and reigne with Christ a thousand years here upon earth, See my Tract against the Millen. p. 4. &cin a wonderful, visible, spiritual, glorious manner, drinking Wine, and enjoying the Quintessence of the Creatures, &c. Now how this text should prove such a Tenet, I must confess my dimme eyes cannot discern. But the Doctor, who can see as farre into a Milstone as another man, will clear it up. But first, lest we should think the Doctor to be singular in this opinion, he tells you, that the great Mercer, and judicious Calvin on the place, concur with him (in the main at least) in this point; which how true (besides what I have already produced before in the Commentary) I come now to examine.
For Mercer on the place, of all Commentators, I find him most inclining, yea peremptory for a Spiritual sense in all these five Verses. How oft doth he cry, Haec non ad literam, non ad literam, sed Spiritualiter, spiritualiter, spiritualiter sunt accipeanda? Where is now the Doctors corporal, pleasant, external reigning? By his abusing this learned Author we may guess at the rest,V. Calvin in Amos 9. ult. for no better doth he deal with Calvin. Hear how expresly he speaks against the Doctors opinion, Quod hic dicitur de tritici et vini abundantia, debet exponi pro natura regni Christi; ergo quia spirituale est regnum Christi. sufficiat etiam nobis affluere spiritualibus bonis: Et Iudaei, quos Dominus sibi residuos reservarit, contenti fuerunt illâ spirituali abundantiâ Siquis objiciat Prophetam hic non Allegoricè loqui, responsio facilis est; …empe hunc morem passim receptum esse in Scripturâ, ut faelicitas sub commodis praesentis vitae, & terrenis benedictionibus quasi pingatur ante oculos nostros: praesertim hoc observare in Prophetis licet, quia stylum accommodabant ad captum rudis & infirmi populi. What could be spoken more (from this text) against the Doctors opinion,See Dr. Homes for the Millen. p. 312 fol. and yet the Doctor still tells us, that he mainly contends for a literal sense, and for a Corporal bringing back of the ten Tribes into their own country. But a greater than Doctor Homes is of another judgement, it is the learned Doctor Rivet, V. Rivet, in Hos. 2.2…. p. 567.glossing on Amos 9.13. thus he saith, Harum promissionum minima pars ad temporalia referri debet, ut ex iis assurgamus ad spiritualia; & plera▪ etiam non impleri perfectè in hac vitâ teneamus, sed coelestem beatitudinem respicere, quomodo, quando excellentius est quod promittitur regni Christi civibus praestandum, quàm unquam temporaliter fuit praestitum, necessarium est ut de bonis spiritualibus accipiatur per Christum donandis, &c. ubi plura.
But to put all out of controversie, St. Iames citing Amos 9.11, 12. interprets them Spiritually, and proves the calling and conversion of the Gentiles in the Apostolical times from them (as I have shewed before) Acts 15.7. to 17. now whether shall we beleeve the Apostle Iames that interprets these words Spiritually, or Doctor Homes who mainly contends for a literal sense?
2 Da… non concesso, giving but not granting what the Doctor saith, suppose all these promises were to be taken literally, for temporal blessings, yet how doth it follow hence that Christ shall reign with the Saints on earth in a visible manner a thousand years? Let any one read over all these five Verses, and put to any one of them singly, or to all conjunctly, ergo Christ shall reign with the Saints a thousand years here on earth, and see if he can forbear smiling at such gross Non-sequiturs, which agree like Harp and Harrow.
Lastly, the Doctor in the close of all challengeth all the Men, and Books in the World, to shew when ever these promises were yet fulfilled? When (saith this self-conceited Doctor) were all the wast Cities re-built, the breaches made up, when was there ever yet all spiritual, and all outward prosperity in the Church? When d…d the Mountains ever run VVine, or the Hills ever melt into Oyl, and Milk, and Honey, and when were all these enjoyments perpetuated?
Ans. If you take the Promises spiritually, St. Iames hath told us they were fulfilled in the Apostles dayes; if you take them literally they never were, nor ever will be fulfilled; who ever looks for a sinless, sorrowless, deathless condition, (as the Doctor dream of) in this world, when the Mountains shall run Wine, &c. none but grosse Fanaticks will fancy such fables. I am even tired with mentioning them.
Obj. But if this text in Amos will not prove the point, yet the Doctor hath one prime place which will prove it terminis terminantibus, and that is Revel. 20.4, 5, 6.
Answ. Doctor Homes shall confute Doctor Homes, Doctor Nathaniel Homes, 1641. shall confute dreaming Dr. Homes, 1651. the greatest Antimillenarian could hardly say more against them than he did then, when the opinion was not in fashion. But he may say as a loose Bishop did sometimes, Nunc aliud tempus, alii pro tempore mores.
But hear what he sayes (in his Set. on 2 Pet. 3.13. p. 4. to 7. preacht before the Parliament, 1641. where he strongly asserts the excellency of the Presbyterian Government, p. 29.38, &c.He pleads for Geneva and Scotland, saying, Omne bonum ab Aquilone. Yet now himself is in this heavenly wide number. I mention this only, lest he should face about again, but I think his Rump — is broken, &c.) Our Divines (saith he) commonly called Millenaries, would understand this text of Peter, of the Martyrs reigning a thousand years on earth, before they be taken up soul and body into heaven; but these are as wide as earth from Heaven. Of innumerable particulars which might be alleadged▪ let us at this time be content with some touches on that leading place, Revel. 20.4, &c. 1. The text tells us (saith he) that it is their Souls shall reign, and not their Bodies, and by a thousand years is meant an eternity of felicity and reigning in heaven. Then he cites Parcus on Rev. 20. against them, and perswades his Reader to read that Learned man on that point. Then he takes off their objections, and at last tells us,Euseb. Hist. l. 3. cap. 35. that Papias the first Author of this opinion was a credulous man, and apt to receive fables for verities; I wish D. H. were not too like him. You see by this time what little credence is to be given to this Weather-cock, than can turn, and turn, but never crow.
But what talk I of D. H. when I find learned Sir Henry Vane (in eadem haeresi) in his vain peece of Learned Non-sense to favour this opinion, I may say of that Cloudy Book with better reason what one said of Persius, Si non vis intelligt, debes negligi. Truth loves not clouds and corners, it is error that is lucifugus and fears the light.
Cyprian Praef. advers. IudaeosI shall be brief, remembring that of Cyprian, Brevitas controversiarum legentibus plurimum prodest, dum non intellectum legentis, & seipsum liber longior spargit; sed subtil'ore compendio (id quod legitur) tenax memoria custodit.
Sir Henry Vane, in his Mystery of Godlinesse, ch. 25. tells us, that when this thousand years are come, Magistracy, and Visible VVorship, Good news for Libertines.and forms of Christian Religion, &c. shall be destroyed, &c. Those places which point expresly at the Day of Judgment, he wracks and wrests to prove his thousand years reign, as Acts 3.19, 20, 21. & 17.31. 1 Thes. 4.16. & 1 Cor. 6.2, 3.
Q. But when doth Sir Henry say that this thousand years reign shall begin?
A. So far as I can gather from him, this thousand years reign of Christ on earth shall begin in the seventh thousand year of the world, viz. about 440. years hence. Wisely done S. H. to set a longer time than most of this way doe, that so he may not be laught at for his vain calculation whilst he liveth.
But that I may not wrong him (for he hath wronged himself too much already) take his own Words, ch. 26 p. 418, 428. The Generall assembly of the first born are to continue and abide for a thousand years in the exercise of this immortal, incorruptible, bod… ly life here in this world, keeping the true Sabbath of rest unto the Lord, in that seventh part of the time of the worlds duration. All worldly strength, w…sdome, power, shall then as the walls of Jericho, fall flat before Iesus the true Joshua, and these true Israelites, as having been by them compassed about six dayes, and now on the seventh a thousand years being with the Lord as one day, 2 Pet. 3.8 making way for the end mentioned, See all this folly confuted in my Tract against the Millenaries.1 Cor. 15.24. so that now men may know when the Day of Judgement shall be, viz. about four hundred and forty years hence.
But how doth Sir H. prove all these high-flown Notions? why ipse dixit, he that never erred sayes it, witness our self at W.
It will be the wisdome of those in authority, speedily to suppress such real Fanatical opinions; else Hae nugae seria fient. These trifles may become troubles.
If any shall take offence at my plaineness against these loose Principles, I shall answer with Bernard, Malo in me murmur hominum quam in Deum, bonum est mihi, si Deus me utatur pro clypeo.
FINIS.