Works, Book 4 · Letter 64
EPISTLE LXIV.
Mr. Mede'sThis Letter of Mr. Mede's is in answer to some other Letter of Mr. E. not to the foregoing Letter, the Answer to which is not yet come to our hands. T… to the like Doubis propounded by others, what Mr. Mede answered may be seen in his Epistola ad Amicum, Book III. page …71. and in Book IV. Epistle 22. and Epistle 66. Sect. 6. Letter to Mr. Estwick, vindicating Lactantius about the Millennium, and proving Cyprian to be for the same Opinion; with some reflections upon Ierom's want of Candour and Faithfulness in relating the opinion of his adversaries.
Mr. Estwick,
YOU would bring me to express my self de modo, before you were persuaded de re. But soft you there, I like not that Method.
S. Ierom is a man of no faith with me, when he describes the opinion of his Adversary: which whatsoever it were, he would set it forth as odiously as possible could be. He was a man that cared not what he said, so it might disparage his Adversary: This appears sufficiently in the cases of Vigilantius and Iovinian. Yea but he lived at the same time. Answ. So do we with those we differ from, and yet we see the experience daily, that scarce any one will relate the opinion of his Adversary candidly.
Yea but I cannot deny that Lactantius was for ciborum abundantia, gulaeque ac ventris ingluvies, & ea quae sub ventre sunt. But what if I can? The words of Lactantius are only these, Lib. 7. cap. 24. Tunc, inquit, qui crunt in corporibus vivi (he speaks of those who shall be living at Christ's Second coming) non morientur, sed per eosdem mille annos infinitam multitudinem generabunt, & erit soboles eorum sancta & Deo chara. Qui autem ad inferis suscitabuntur, (that is, those who shall rise from the dead Resurrectione primâ) ii praeerunt viventibus tanquam Iudices. You see he puts a difference between those who shall be then living and those who shall rise from the dead. The last shall live vitam coelestem & Angelicam, even on earth, without marrying or giving in marriage; but not the first. He saies indeed the one shall generare; but of the other only, that praeerunt viventibus tanquam Iudices; and presently in the words following describes that Regnum to be the Mille anni coelestis Imperii in quo Iustitia in orbe regnabit. But of gormundizing, ingluvies & gula, I find no word, unless you think it must needs follow upon the taking away the curse of the creature, and the restitution thereof to the perfection it lost through mans sin. For Lactantius means no more, but that such as then lived should live the life that Adam should have done in Paradise, had he not sinned: but those that should then rise from the dead should live in a far more Heavenly and Angelical condition, even the life of the Blessed Spirits in Heaven. But S. Ierom is wont to relate the opinion, as if those who rose again should generare, and give themselves to feasting and gormundising.
Besides, you say S. Austin intimates that some held some such carnal Beatitude. I answer; So he intimates that some did not, and that himself was once of that opinion, and that to hold so was tolerable; Quae opinio esset utcunque tolerabilis, si aliquae deliciae spiritales in illo Sabbato affuturae Sanctis per Domini (i. Christi) praesentiam crederentur. Nam nos etiam hoc opinati fuimus aliquando. De Civit. Dei, Lib. 20. c. 7.
But where can I shew Cyprian to be a Chiliast? You see it is tedious to answer a Question in writing, which may be asked in a few words. Yet I will say something: I say therefore, he shews himself plainly a Chiliast (to such as know the mystery of that Opinion) Lib. de Exhortatione Martyrii. In the Preface whereof he speaks thus; Desiderâsti, Fortunate charissime, ut quoniam persecutionum & pressurarum pondus incumbit, & in fine atque consummatione mundi Antichristi tempus infestum appropinquare nunc coepit, ad praeparandas & coroborandas Fratrum mentes de divinis Scripturis hortamenta componerem, quibus milites Christi ad coeleste & spiritale certamen animarem—paulò pòst— Sex millia annorum jam penè complentur—Si imperatum invenerit Diabolus militem Christi, &c.
But he that, as you see, expected the coming of Antichrist should be at the end of the sixth thousand year, which he supposed then near at hand, yet thought the world should last 7000. viz. a thousand years after the destruction of Antichrist, ut patet ex iis quae disserit cap. 11. in these words, Quid verò in Maccabaeis septem fratres & natalium pariter & virtutum sorte consimiles, Septenarium numerum perfectae consummationis implentes? Sic Septem fratres in Martyrio cohaerentes, ut primi in dispositione divina Septem dies, annorum Septem millia continentes—ut consummatio legitima compleatur, &c. This to him that knows Chiliasm is plain Chiliasm. Look and compare your Austin, cap. 7. lib. 20. de Civit. Dei, from those words, Qui propter haec hujus Libri verba primam Resurrectionem, &c. Compare also what C…prian hath in the end of that Book out of the Gospel, Mark 10. 29, 30. and Apocalyps 20. and you will acknowledge him to be (as he was wont to profess himself) Tertulliani Discipulum.
But I must not follow you too far in this kind of answering: 'tis tedious. I send you some more Papers, and so with my love, I rest
Christ's College, Novemb. 16. Yours, Ios. Mede.