Works, Book 4 · Letter 50
EPISTLE L.
Dr. Twisse's Fifth Letter to Mr. Mede, applauding his Conjecture concerning Gog and Magog, and the first peopling of America; as also his proof of the Resurrection from Exod. 3. 6. with a Post-script relating partly to a report of Mr. Selden's Censure of his Book upon the Apocalyps.
HOw exceedingly am I beholden unto you; first, for your pains in affording me so liberal Letters, especially considering with what recreation and delight I read them; but above all for your love in communicating your thoughts? And I dare profess, though I have not seen your face, (whic I heartily desire at mine house; but I will think of preventing that suit, and first take a time to visit your self at Cambridge) yet you cannot communicate them to one that holds them more dear. Alas! had it not been for your help, I had been to this day a stranger in the mystery of God; while all my thoughts are employed in making up the breach which these degenerate Times have caused in the mystery of God's grace. But I have a desire to receive information; and God hath made me capable in some measure to discern the strength of rational discourse, and the congruity of Conclusions with their Premisses in any argument. And to profess a truth, I did not think the mysteries of God's Providence, set down as they are in obscure Prophecies, had been capable of such evidence of illustration as God hath enabled you to bring thereunto, before the Event doth manifest them.
I went a little too far in my last; only that I might not be too immodest to create new troubles unto you, by comparing your Book on the Revelation, I guess the destruction of Gog is before the ruine of Antichrist, though perhaps not long; and thereupon will follow that great commotion, Revel. 19. 19. And as for the destruction of the Temple after Gog in Ezechiel, whether you think it to have any reference to new Ierusalem, I know not.
As for your former mystery concerning Gog; I find it evident, that if Lactantius were now alive, in all likelihood he would go hand and foot into your opinion. He is clear for the reservation of some Gentes untouched of the fire at Christ's coming. This lately I met withal, not in Lactantius himself, but in Sixtus Senensis.
As for the peopling of the new world, I find more in this Letter of yours than formerly I have been acquainted with. Your conceit thereabouts, if I have any judgment, is grave and ponderous; and the particular you touch upon, of Satan's wisdom imitating the wisdom of God, doth affect me with admiration. And for matter of fact, the grounds you go upon, for ought I see, are as good as the world can afford. I think it a far safer course to entertain your apprehensions of God's Providence concerning our better Plantations in those parts, than the vain prognostications of those who think that likeliest which pleaseth them best. Were it not for Christians that live amongst them, they could neither have notice of the glory of new Ierusalem, nor ever in all likelihood attain either to the Art of Ship-building and Navigation, or Art military, to fit them for such an Expedition as you speak of. And it may serve as a chamber to hide many of God's children, till the indignation pass over, whic hastens upon us more and more. Call that which you write Fancies, as your modesty suggests; I cannot but entertain them as sage conceits.
As for the place alledged by our Saviour to prove the Resurrection, [God is not the God of the dead, but of the living] long ago my brains were exercised to make it good, which I did in a Philosophical way; from the Immortality of Souls concluding the Resurrection of their Bodies, from that Philosophical Maxim, Nihil violentum perpetuum; and consequently the dividing of the Soul from the Body not to continue for ever. I then thought not of the mystery of God concerning the First Resurrection, and that of the Iust only. And albeit some thoughts do arise against your way therein, upon consideration that glorified Bodies stand in no need of inheritance temporal; and undoubtedly the eating and drinking of Saints in their Resurrection shall be rather to maintain a familiar communion with the*Rev. 21, 2…. Nations that escape, who are to walk in their light, than to supply any domestical necessity of their natures; yet howsoever, the land of Canaan being the place where they shall reign as Kings, and the promise of God so express to Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, not to their seed only; and albeit the state of Grace was a better inheritance than the land of Canaan, yet the state of Glory, reigning with Christ, better than that: this makes me highly to respect your interpretation. And you back your interpretation with learned Observations out of the Rabbins: and the good use you make of them makes me the more in love with them; and I am sorry I have not spent more time in them; and it stirs me up sometimes to recreate my self in the Venice Bibles set forth by Buxtorsius, wherein I have been not a little refreshed with what they write of Balaam's prophecy, and upon Gog in Ezechiel, and how they strain their wits upon that, [Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time?] R. Solomo fetching it from Eldad and Medad, whic made me smile; and Kimchi referring it to Ezechiel only and Zachary: and upon that, Matth. 8. 11. and the like. One Mr.—in Lincolnshire doth vehemently insist for your way, as I have heard from my Lord S. to whom I have lately written pleasantly, touching upon his counsels for advancing the Plantations of the West, and telling him, that his Lordship little thinks that they tend to the promoting of the kingdom of Gog and Magog. For that noble Lord gives me leave to be merry with him; nothing pleaseth him more than when he finds me free from a dejected Spirit. In his next he gave a touch only thereupon, which was this, that surely the Americans were not Gog and Magog. In my text I shewed him they could not be the same with Gog of the land of Magog in Ezechiel (which was his opinion;) that Gog coming from the North, but these from the East, West, North and South, the four corners of the world. But withal I told his Lordship, he was not as yet idoneus Auditor of this mystery; he must first be a good Proficient in an inferior Form, where is read and studied the mystery of Regnum Christi & Sanctorum and the First Resurrection. VponUpon this he wrote a larger Letter opposing the conceit (I touched upon) of Gog and Magog, though the Millennium of Christ's Kingdom were granted; yet not a little against that also. I answered his Letter punctually; but when I had done, I kept that by me, and wrote at large to him concerning Regnum Christi, professing my desire he might not be unacquainted with the Mystery of God, Revel. 10. 7. according to the true contents thereof, Revel. 11. 15. and so proceeded to shew unto him what a Mystery it seemed to me at the first, and how incredible; though that Revel. 20. 4. was plain enough; but we were willing to project some recondite meaning, because the plain sense of the words seemed incredible. When I came to understand your way, what course I took to crave leave to propose my Reasons, in number*See … XXI. XXII. ten, to send unto you, these I sent to him without any answer; which yet he shall have, if he require it; not otherwise, for I do not affect to cramme any man against his appetite. I know he is much taken with Mr. Brightman.
As touching my Objection; I know that 1 Cor. 15. Every man in his own order, is more fair for your way than that I proposed; and to contract it to that which immediately followeth, seems to me to infatuate it; especially you having so fairly confirmed it out of Daniel, and the Ancients stand with you herein. Vndoubtedly the enjoying of Christ…s God-head is more happiness than the enjoying of his Manhood; and the same joy in enjoying Christ the Lord*In the M…. there seems some mistake in the writing. can maintain in the spirits perfected: And why should it be any discomfort to me, that Christ in his Manhood is gone to ruine Antichrist, and to reign with his Saints, and that I must stay till my turn comes to reign with him?
I have written to Mr. B. in answer to his Letter, wherein he made relation of whereabouts he had written to you, and what you answered him; whereupon I took occasion to write unto him, and to acquaint him with the Praecognita you speak of.
In one of your former Letters, you told me of a Chappel-exercise you had to communicate unto me, when I returned that of Gog and Magog; which truly I had forgotten in my last to entreat: but since perusing your Letters, and lighting upon it, I resolved the next time I wrote to put you in mind of your promise: which whether it be the same you have wrote of concerning Dan. 11. I know not.—I could not neglect to write unto you with the first, to acquaint you with my receit of yours, which came to my hands Apr. 4. and to give you many thanks for your love and pains, which I shall never requite save with love; if that may be a requital, as your acceptance may make it. I commend you from my heart to the Grace of God, and your studies as mine own to the Divine benediction, and rest
Newbury, April 6. 1635. Yours ever in the Lord extreamly obliged. W. Twisse.
Post-script.
A strange Book came lately to my hands of the variation of the longitude of places on earth by the variation of the Compass, which was formerly supposed to be invariable. That which 54 years since was found to be deg. 11, 22 years agoe was found to be but deg. 7, and the last year but deg. 4. Dr. L. my neighbour desires to be remembred unto you: He told me a story of Mr. Selden, what he delivered to my Lord Herbert concerning you, as namely that you took it unkindly that he would not believe that a Trumpet signified a thousand years. I made answer on your behalf as I thought good.