Works, Book 4 · Letter 54 – Letter 55
EPISTLE LIV.
Mr. Mede's Answer to Dr. Twisse's Sixth Letter, containing some Testimonies touching Regnum Christi and the New Ierusalem, out of Tertullian and K. Edward's Catechism; with some general hints concerning Ezekiel's Vision of the measuring of the Temple, and an Explication of Dan. 11. 44, 45.
SIR,
I Am not unwilling to communicate unto you the most of my …ew, because, I perceive, you make some account of them. For in the Un. where I live, I know not a second man that understands any thing concerning such Mysteries, nor desires to be made acquainted with them. I speak not of the Mystery of the Millennium only, but of the Mystery of Iniquity. Concerning which I cannot but exceedingly admire how uncapable men (otherwise extraordinarily qualified with gists, and well-affected too) are found to be—Condemn me not therefore too much, if my edge be not so sharp in this way as you desire it should be. But let this pass. You shall receive herewith the*which I … you to send back, when you return my other papers. Prophecie of Tobie in a paper by it self. And I will add in this two other. The one, the authority of Tertullian for the applying of Ezekiel's Temple to the New Ierusalem; the other, another passage yet out of K. Edward's Catechism, which I had not time to transcribe in my last.
Tertullian. lib. 3. adversus Marcionem c. 24.
Nam & confitemur in Terra nobis Regnum repromissum, sed ante Coelum, sed alio statu; utpote post resurrectionem in Mille annos, in Civitate divini operis Hierusalem coelo delata? quam & Apostolus Matrem nostram sursum designat, & foreign nostrum, id est, municipatum, in coelis esse pronuntians, alicui utique coelesti Civitati eam deputat. Hanc & Ezekiel novit, & Apostolus Ioannes vidit—Hanc dicimus excipiendis resurrectione Sanctis, & refovendis omnium bonorum, utique spiritualium, copiâ, in compensationem eorum quae in seculo vel despeximus vel amisimus, à Deo prospectam.N. B. Siquidem & justum & Deo dignum, illic quoque exultare famulos ejus, ubi sunt afflicti in nomine ipsius. Haec ratio Regni*Sic vocat quod in terris tu…urum asserit, utpose de coelo sive coelitus, vel in quo coelesti & Angelicâ vivetur vitâ. coelestis. Post cujus Mille annos, intra quam aetatem concluditur Sanctorum resurrectio, pro meritis maturiùs vel tardiùs resurgentium, tunc & mundi destructione & Iudicii conflagratione commissâ, demutati in atomo in Angelicam substantiam (scilicet per illud incorruptelae superindumentum) transferemur in coeleste Regnum—
In this latter, for the time of the World's Conflagration and its destruction, Tertullian differs from the rest, I am sure from Irenaeus; unless by Iudicii conflagratio he means that of Gog and Magog, Apoc. 20. 9. But I think he doth*Vide. n. de Spectaculis. c. 30. not.
Ex Catechismo Edwardico,
De Extremo Iudicio.
M.
Finem mundi Scriptura sacra consummationem & perfectionem Regni ac Mysterii Christi, & Renovationem rerum omnium appellat. Sic loquitur Apostolus Petrus 2 Ep. cap. 3. Nos coelos novos & terram novam exspectamus, juxta promissionem Dei, in quibus justitia inhabitat. Videtur autem rationi consentaneum, ut corruptio, mutabilitas & peccatum (quibus subjicitur totus mundus) aliquando cessarent. Quâ verò tandem viâ aut quibus circumstantiarum rationibus ista fient, cupio abs te audire.
Aud.
Dicam, ut possum, eodem ipostolo teste: Coeli procellae in motem transibunt, elementa aestuantia solventur, terráque & quae in ea sunt opera exurentur. Quasi diceret, Mundus (uti in auro fieri videmus) totus igne repurgabitur, atque ad ultimam suam perfectionem reducetur, quem minor ille mundus, nimirum homo, imitatus, à corruptione itidem & mutatione liberabitur. Itaque hominis causà (in cujus gratiam major hic mundus creabatur primùm) renovatus tandem, faciem induet multò …ùm jucundiorem, tum pulchriorem.
M.
Deinde autem quid superest?
Aud.
Vltimum & generale Iudicium. Veniet namque Christus, ad cujus vocem mortui omnes resurgent, & animâ & corpore integri, atque in throno Majestatis suae residentem videbit totus mundus: post excussionem autem conscientiae cujusque, extrema sententia pronunciabitur. Tunc temporis filii Dei perfectè possidebunt Regnum illud immortalitatis & aeternae vitae, quod illis praeparatum fuit ante jacta fundamenta mundi, & regnabunt cum Christo in aeternum. Impii verò qui non crediderunt abjicientur in ignem aeternum, destinatum diabolo & angelis ejus.
I send you this passage, as I did the former, that you might admire with me what this Author meant; whether such expressions could fall from him by mere chance, or whether they argue not some further notion in this Mystery than was common and ordinary, though those to whom the review and approbation of the Book was committed were not capable to observe it.
CONCERNING Ezekiel's Vision of the measuring of the Temple I have no no Notions, either general or special, worth relation. Only I suspect some Mystery to be in the Numbers, as in the New Ierusalem in the Apocalyps I observe all the Numbers to be 12, or multiplied thereof, with reference, I suppose, to the 12 Apostles. But whether the Number of Ezekiel's measures should have reference, I cannot yet so well comprehend. I have been sometimes tampering that way, and methought they seemed to suit very well with the Name of God foreign and foreign, the letters whereof are 3 in each, and the Numbers they signifie 1. 5. 6. 10. 30.foreign 1. 5. 6. 10. 30. For these are the Numbers or the Radices of the Numbers of nigh all Ezekiel's measures. Notwithstanding I give my self but little satisfaction in so Cabbalistical a conceit. Yet seeing the measures of the City in Ezekiel (cap. ult. in sine) are diverse from those of S. Iohn in the Apocalyps; if the Cities be the same, the Numbers also must have some identity in a Mystery which they have not in the Letter; one fitted to the time of the Law, the other to the time of the Gospel. But he that can tell me how to unfold this Mystery, shall be my Master.
CONCERNING my application of the*Dan. 11 44, 45. explained. See the foregoing verses explain'd in Book III. p. 674. King of the South and the King of the North to the Saracen and Turk, who should plunder the Roman Empire in his latter end; 'tis not my conceit alone, but Mr. Brightman's upon that part of Daniel. And 'tis true, which you guess, that I incline to apply the King of the North's going forth (upon the tidings from the East and the North) in a fury to destroy, and to that purpose to plant the Tabernacles of his palace in the glorious mountain of Holiness, to the Iews return, and the expedition of Gog and Magog into the Holy land. For foreign and foreign, and therefore foreign in this place, is constantly in this Book a description of the Holy land. See chap. 8. 9. and this chap. vers. 16, and 41. The tidings from the East and North may be that of the return of Iudah and Israel from those quarters. For Iudah was carried captive at the first into the East, and Israel by the Assyrian into the North, (namely in respect of the Holy land) and in those parts the greatest number of each are dispersed at this day. Of the reduction of Israel from the North, see the Prophecies Ier. 16. 14, 15. and chap. 23. 8. also chap. 31. 8.
Or if this tidings from the North may be some other thing, yet that from the East I may have some warrant to apply to the Iews return, from that of the Sixth Vial in the*ch. 16. 12. Apocalyps, where the waters of the great River Euphrates are dried up, to prepare the way of the Kings of the East.
If you can digest this application of the Kings of the South and North to the Saracen and Turk; I will then desire you to consider the notation of the Time when, which (saith the Holy Ghost, v. 40.) should come to pass foreign at the time of the End, that is, of the foreign of the Roman Kingdom; which what they are you will find in my Discourse upon 1 Tim. 4. And to this you may refer that Question of Daniel in the next chap. vers. 6. foreign How long shall this latter end of wonderful things be? which the Angel answers, For a time, times and a half; referring to his former Vision thereof chap. 7. 25. Of the same Latter times he asketh yet again, vers. 8. incertus & mirabundus, foreign Lord! what are these foreign; which our Translation turns but untowardly. And further than this I cannot go in Daniel. The next is all dark. But it may seem the Angel tells the Prophet in those last*Dan. 12. 11, 12. Numbers when and how long it should be before this Mystery of the foreign should be understood. For so he intimates both vers. 4. Shut up the words, and seal the Book until the time of the End; and again vers. 9. The words are closed up and sealed till the time of the End— and then, None of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand, vers. 10. Now you know the Mystery of Antichrist, whereon the knowledge of these foreign wholly depends, was not discovered till a good part of them were run out. What if those Numbers (vers. 11, 12.) point out that time, counting from the Prophanation of Epiphanes? But I confess I know not here which way to take. This I intimate was an old Notion, which I can neither satisfie my self in, nor yet meet with another better grounded.
Io. Mede.[At what time the Author wrote these lines, it seems he had not perfected his thoughts concerning the meaning of these Numbers and the Epocha thereof: but afterwards he wrote an elaborate Discourse expressing his last and more concocted thoughts concerning this Argument: which the Reader may find in Book III. page 717.
EPISTLE LV.
Dr. Twisse's Seventh Letter to Mr. Mede, desiring to know his thoughts touching Genuflexio versus Altare.
Worthy Sir, and my dear Friend,
THese are only to give you to understand that your Packet is arrived safely in my hands; your Letters, your Manuscripts, two larger upon 1 Tim. 4. and the other of foreign, and a third less. Time will not serve me to express the content I take in them; the satisfaction you give me in your Letters. I am taken with the meditation of the slavery of the Creature, ever since the Fall of Adam in bondage to them that are slaves to sin; and what that bespeaks of better times both for the Creature and for us: the passages of the Form of Doctrine prescribed by the Council of Nice; the Catechism in K. Edward's days; and the rest. And like enough the land of Canaan shall have preeminence above all the rest, when it comes to be the Throne of Christ's Kingdome, like as it was the glory of all Lands when the children of Israel were brought to inherit it.
Your Doctrine of Daemons (whereof I have tasted, even to the Answer of the second Objection, Why invocation of Saints should be made choice of to set out Antichrist thereby, as a principal Character of him,) doth so affect me, that withal considering these degenerate times, I could heartily wish you would give way to the printing of it. You know what Spalatensis mentioneth of one of his Prebends, that should profess, if he were sure Angels heard him, he would use that Collect, Angele Dei, qui custos es mei, &c. And who it is that taketh it upon him to have been the man meant, and justifies it. When I read your Discourse of that, Thou shalt have no other Gods before my face, it makes me willing to know what you think of Genuflexio versus Altare, which now grows rife, and begins to challenge subscription thereto as licita; like as genuflexio at the name of Iesus, as pia ceremonia; and where we shall end I know not. I cannot but take notice, as you wish me, of the vile depravation of the opinion of the Ancients concerning Millennium. For all these I cannot sufficiently give you thanks, and must study how to express my thank fulness. Mr. S. is a man of very good parts, but withal I doubt he hath his vanities as well as other men; for I cannot believe but that Dr. L. related unto me the truth of what he heard—
The beginning of the week hath been a very busie time with me, and I must make haste, desiring you may understand with the first the safe landing of your precious commodities— I nothing doubt but the Lord will perfect the good work he hath begun in you and by you; to whose gracious direction I commend all your ways, and shall ever rest
Newbury, May 5. 1635. Yours in all due respects infinitely obliged, Will. Twisse.