Works, Book 4 · Letter 42
EPISTLE XLII.
Dr. Twisse his Fourth Letter to Mr. Mede, approving his conjectures touching Gog and Magog, and desiring his opinion of the English Plantations in America.
Good Mr. Mede.
I Must begin with apologizing for my self: I had purposed to return your Discourse the next week …ter I received it, that being of so precious a nature you might have it with the soonest. But I had so much to write upon that occasion, and withal many other Letters to dispatch the same week, that I deferred it to the next. Then I was put off by an unhappy accident: For a Scholar living with me got it over night to peruse, and the next morning, upon a su…en motion, observing the fair weather, took the opportunity to ride to London, without thinking of your Paper, neither was it in my memory to call for it. So that till the week following I could not recover it.—Now I have returned it, and I trust it shall come safe unto your hands. Now touching your Letters, I profess a truth, I was so far from taking any the least offence that I heard not from you so soon, that (believe it, sir) I blam'd my self for making so bold with you, still putting you upon new matters; though when a vein is once found of gold or silver, it makes a man hungry and greedy to pursue it; and the Kingdom of the Saints goes beyond all Mines and Treasures. O how have you blessed me, and still continue to bless me with your Papers! I protest unto you, your Letters, your Conjectures, your Meditations, are the greatest Iewels my Studie contains. I approve your Reasons for not proceeding to publish any more at this present; but as Mariners provide against a storm, so may we for a calm. I have heretofore observed how, after Civil Wars in Christendom, many excellent things came forth which were studied in the time of Trouble. Did not Cicero the like in times of like condition? I am glad your thoughts reflect (and I hope ever and anon) on the same subjects, that your friends in private may enjoy the benefit of your labours and talents.
In the matter of Gog and Magog you have acquainted me with new Mysteries that I never thought of.See Mr. Mede's Conjecture of Gog and Magog in Book III. Pag. 713. Yet to one who first embraceth your way (so I call it, because God hath made you his Minister to bring it to light; but I account it the way of Truth, and so carried by you, that in no particular I find just cause of exception) concerning Regnum Sanctorum, such light you bring to justifie your Conjecture, that he will be driven to confess that you deliver nothing without fair ground, fair probability, and that in such a degree, that any other way seems to me, for the present, nothing capable of the like. Your grounds are very fair and clear to every one, but never (I think) taken into consideration by any before your self, to that end and purpose whereunto you direct them. You cannot easily conceive what content you give me herein, and what refreshing it is to my spirit. First, I perceive that Expedition of Gog against the Land of Israel is reckoned by you after their calling unto Christ, and thereupon possessing themselves of the Holy Land, the Prophecies of the Old Testament leading thereunto; though Iews in former ages have joyned themselves with the Christian Churches of the same Countrey amongst whom they conversed. Secondly, Also that now you are resolved concerning the place of New Ierusalem, namely, the land of Iury. Thirdly, I guess also, you conceive the destruction of Gog and of Antichrist shall be at once by the coming of Christ. Fourthly, And that the restoring of the Temple in the latter end of Ezechiel, following upon the destruction of Gog, is a Type of New Ierusalem. Fifthly, And that Gog is the Turk. For which light that you have given me in all these particulars, I most heartily thank you.
NOW, I beseech you, let me know what your opinion is of our English Plantations in the New world. Heretofore I have wondered in my thoughts at the Providence of God concerning that world, not discovered till this old world of ours is almost at an end; and then no footsteps found of the knowledge of the true God, much less of Christ. And then considering our English Plantations of late, and the opinion of many grave Divines concerning the Gospel's …leeting Westward; sometimes I have had such thoughts, Why may not that be the place of New Ierusalem? But you have handsomely and fully clear'd me from such odd conceits. But what? I pray, shall our English there degenerate and joyn themselves with Gog and Magog? We have heard lately divers ways, that our people there have no hope of the Conversion of the Natives. And the very week after I received your last Letter, I saw a Letter written from New England, discoursing of an impossibility of subsisting there; and seems to prefer the confession of God's Truth in any condition here in Old England, rather than run over to enjoy their liberty there; yea, and that the Gospel is like to be more dear in New England than in Old: and lastly, unless they be exceeding careful, and God wonderfully merciful, they are like to lose that life and zeal for God and his Truth in New England which they enjoyed in Old; as whereof they have already woful experience, and many there feel it to their smart.
I am ashamed to urge you unto that which I do extremely desire, that you would afford me your interpretation of the last verses of Dan. 11. concerning the Fourth Kingdom: For I am confident by that you make of the first of them, you have in like manner considered it throughout; and your fetching the matter off from Epiphanes and the Greeks to the Fourth Kingdom, gives great light to the whole. Thus over shoes, over boots; I am run so far in your debt, and withall I am so much in love with it, that I care not how deep I plunge my self thereinto. I commend me heartily unto your love, which I prize more than I can express. I shall rest
Newbury, March 2. 1634. Yours, ever to love and honour you, W. Twisse.
Post-script.
I had almost forgotten a special Argument against Regnum Sanctorum, whereof I should crave the solution; which is this. All the Saints departed this life are with the Lord Christ, 2. Cor. 5. 8. If all at his coming be not brought with him, they shall be divided from Christ, and consequently in worse condition than they were before. Though he bring all with him, yet in that Kingdom there may be place for different degrees of glory; and that 1 Cor. 15. Every one in his own order, is applied there only to Christ and them that are Christ's.