The Revelation Unrevealed Concerning the Thousand Year Reign, Section 7
§ 7 But when I saw so many wel-minded Christians by a credulous trust of some modern authority, The history of the ancien Chiliasts briefly reported.strongly carried back into the opinion of the ancient Chiliasts, which was so many hundren years ago hooted out of the Christian Church; and so passionately affected therewith, as that they run themselves into wild consequents both of paradoxes in opinion, and resolutions in practise; I might not but break silence; and, if no more, yet charitably to advise them to a safe suspension of judgement, in a matter so abstruse, and altogether indeterminable. It is true that it is not a matter of faith; neither imports salvation, either way; so as here can be no warrant for the violation of charity in over bitter censures of either the defenders or oppugners of it; Yet withall, it must be granted to be such as (in that forme wherein it is maintained by some abettors) may draw in some dangerous Consectaries both of Act and Opinion; It would be bootlesse for me to look back at the ancient heresie of the Milliaries, as Austine cals them; to shew how that grosse error, which was first broached by the Epicurean, and (as Lindanus justly cals him Judaizing CERINTHUS; was in a more tolerable sense, taken up not long after, by Papias Bishop of Hierapolis, reported by Irenaus to be an Auditor of St. John, and companion of Polycarpus; a well meaning man, but (foreign) of a mean judgement, as he is styled; mente non acri, as Nicephorus; which yet rellished so ill with the Christians of those times, as that this very passage of the Revelation, was deemed by them a probable ground to call the divine authority of this whole book into question, (as savouring too much of Cerinthus) But the Majesty which shined in that holy prophesie soone dispelled that cloud: and induced the Church to find a better sense of so obscure a clause, then the meerly literall; wherein yet some eminent Authors thought fit still to rest, as Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Lactantius; yea we are told by that worthy an Orthodoxe Dionysius Alexandrinus, About the yeare of Christ 270. foreign.that Nepos an Egyptian Bishop, wrote a book in those early times, to this purpose, which he called Elonchum Allegoristarum; wherein he too grosly maintained that thousand yeares raigne in all earthly pleasure and delicacy; seconded also by one Coracion, the then famous ring-leader of that Sect; against whom that reverend and holy Dionysius bent his style, foreign.in two books of the promises of God; confuting that Judaicall and literall construction of the large predictions of the outward happinesse of the Church; now by some revived; who not without a preface of the high respects which he gives to the Author, for his excellent parts, and merits, effectually oppugnes his mis-raised opinion; and spends three dayes conference with Coracion, to so good a purpose, as that he brought him by strength of argumentation, Eccles. histor. lib. 7. cap. 22, 23.to cast away, and recant his former errour; all which is fully laid forth by Eusebius.
Yet, after this, about the year 370, Apollinaris that exploded heretick, revives this Sect; and adds this errour to the company of many, much worse, defended by him; which, say Baronius and Binius, was so condemned in him by a Councell held at Rome, about the year 373; ut postac omninò conticuerit; that it never so much as whispered since; but as it is better observed by Aretius, it held out to the times of Hierome, and Augustine; who upon all occasions refell it, and cry it down for a Jewish fable: Ever since which time, till now of late, there hath been no noise at all of it, in the world; so as it hath lyen dead for this twelve hundred and forty yeares; and now is raised up out of the grave of oblivion by some that think themselves wiser then their predecessors.