The Revelation Unrevealed Concerning the Thousand Year Reign, Section 8
§ 8 But, The summary relation of the doctrine of the late Millenarians.forasmuch as it doth not so greatly concerne us to know what in this case hath been held by former Opinionists, as what is now insisted upon for the present, let us both carefully inquire into the substance of this uncouth doctrine, lately taken up by some of our Brethren, and unpartially examine the grounds whereupon it is maintained: In his Book of the personall-raign of Christ on earth, laying forth & proving that Jesus Christ together with the Saints shall visibly possess a Monarchicall State and Kingdom in this world, Printed & sold by B. Allen, Anno 1643.And for that I finde none hath laid forth this opinion so fully, and confidently, as a late London-Divine, Mr. John Archer; one esteemed of so great sanctity and worth, as that no mean person doubted not to file him amongst men as precious as any the earth bore in his time; I shall fearlesly take his word for the point, in hand; and shall first sum up his doctrine concerning this subject; and then shew the Improbabilities and incongruities of it; the rather for that I perceive his conceptions passe generally for the current Tener of the fautors of this plausible opinion.
First, M. Archer abridged concerning Christ's kingdom & comming.then he layes for his foundation, that there is a three-fold Kingdome of Christ; One Providentiall, which is that universall Soveraignty by which Jesus Christ manageth the affairs of all the world, both in heaven, and earth; Another spirituall, which is that Soveraignty which he exercises over the consciences of some people, and in speciall the Elect; subduing them by his Word and Spirit to an universall obedience of him; A third Monarchicall, wherein Christ, when hee enters upon it, will governe as earthly Monarchs do; that is universally over the World, and in a worldly, visible and earthly glory: not by tyranny, and oppression; and sensually, but with honour, peace, riches, and whatsoever in and of the World is not sinfull: so as Christ shall administer this Soveraignty over all the Earth, in a visible, and worldy manner, for splendour, riches, peace, &c. though not in a fleshly or sinfull manner: hee thence descends to the consideraon of the manner of this Kingdome of Christ, both in the extent, and qualities of it: The extent of it he makes to be unto all reasonable creatures, Angels, Devils and men: shewing that the high ones of the earth, Kings, and their Monarchies shall fall before the Lord, both Sun and Moon. i. Majesty of an higher and lower rank shal vanish before him; he shal change all worldly custom, and so all Kingly glory; and set up a new, even his own glory. Secondly, for the opening of the quality of it; he makes a double day of judgment; one strictly take for a partiall judgement of some, not all; wherein many both Saints and sinners shall be judged, and that with great terrour, and solemnity; The other, generall, wherein all men and Devils shall be judged: bringing a world of Saints and Sinners first to the bar of that more partiall and strictly-taken Judgement, long before the Last and Generall Day.
But even that former shall be, he saith, a Generall Judging (though not to the second death) of all the ungodly in the world; at least of all that will not stoop to Christ his Scepter; And secondly, ajudging to the Saints alive who shall be blamed for their former failings.
Now these two times and degrees of Judgment begin & end Christs Kingdom or Monarchies; so as all the time of his raigne may fitly be called a day of Judgment; wherein there is an evening and morning, answerable to the naturall day: In the evening or first part of Christs Kingdome there is first an end, or withdrawing and ceasing of the light and glory of the fore-going day; so Christs Kingdome shall begin with the withdrawing of Peace and Comfort, and in following darknesse; in that great troubles shall begin to arise upon those, who shall be the subjects of Christs Monarchy, both believing Gentiles and Jewes, with Israelites, or the ten Tribes, who shall be all converted, and greatly troubled; but when that trouble is at the height; then comes the beginning of Christs Kingdome. AT the first setting up then of this Kingdome, Christ shall come from Heaven visibly; even as he went thither; which yet is not his last Comming to the last Judgment, but a middle comming betwixt the two other; For Christ, he saith, hath three commings; The first when he came to take our nature; The second when he comes to receive his Kingdome, for the receiving of which he went to Heaven; The third when he comes to judg all and end the world: This second comming of Christ shall be long before his comming to the last judgment. In which second comming Christ will do these three things. First, he will raise up the Saints which are dead before this his comming, not onelyonly such as have been Martyred as some think, but all Saints who have died in the Faith; for which cause he is said to come with all his Saints. Zecha. 14.5. But all the dead which are not Saints, shall lye still in the dust, till the last and generall judgement, for the second death.
The Saints which thus are raised in the first Resurrection shall not returne to a mortall state of body again, nor yet be so perfectly glorified as they shall be afterwards; for then the people on earth could not bear their presence, for they shall shine as the Sun, but they shall be in a middle state, betwixt glory and mortality, as Christ was after his Resurrection, before his Ascension: Secondly, he will destroy the wicked people on earth, for they about the time of his comming shall combine against the Saints; and then will Christ suddenly surprise them to their ruine; now this ruine of the wicked, shall not be as yet universall, to every one; onelyonly now he will ruine the Armies of them; and so he will break the head and the arme of them; as it was with the Egyptians at the red Sea; and the rest he will make slaves to the Churches; And, it seems that some wicked shall be left for a seed to these Nations, because by the end of Christ's Kingdom, Gog and Magog shall rise against the Saints; which cannot arise out of such as prove hypocrites, or excommunicated, for there shall be none such there; but these wicked ones left, shall be the Nations ruled with iron, Revel. 2.27.
Thirdly, he shal examine, blame and shame the Saints who are alive at his comming, if they be found to have walked loosly: He wil not kill them, nor change them in a moment, but shame them; therefore Peter exhorts to be holy, that we be not blamed at his comming.2 Pet. 3.11.