fpeakes of the immortal and glorified bodies which the Saints shall receive of God at their refurrection, and not of vertues. Yea you might have said as well, that the tenth commandement, Thou shalt not cover thy neighbors house; isthus to be understood, Thou shalt not covetthy neighbors vertues. And that where we reade of our Saviour, Lak 14. verje 1. That he went into the boufe of one of the chiefe Pharifees, it is to be understood, that he went into the vertues of one of the chiefe Pharifeer. And if this be not to make the word of God a ball of waxe, a thing capable of any fhape and impreffion, what ist Preface: Eightly, I know fome Millenaries will take it hardly, that they are called the offspring of Cerinthus, feeing they differ from him in fundry particulars and fome fay, it's no matter, who bath faid it before, whether Cerinthus or Swenkfeld, if it be true. I answer fearcely any heretique did ever renew an old berefy in all the particulars and nevertheleffe it is truly called the fame berefy: and we call them fo, no more then they be fuck: and when any opinion hath no other father, nor abettours, but beretiques,itis odious. Answer. We were altogether unworhy to beare the name of him in whom we doe beleeve: and to participate of the light of the glorious Gofpel of Christ, if having fo fure a foundation of our faith, as the plaine word of God is, we should be any whit dismaid at theNames of Heretiques and herefy. Or at any other opprobrious termes,that can be used against us. It is enough for the Disciple, that be be as his Mafter, and the fervant as his Lord; if they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, bow much more sbal they call them of his boufbold? faith our Saviour, Mat. 10. verfe 25. Evil language, and evil entreating are the Legacy of Chrifts fervants in this life, and whofoever fhall either for feare or hame refuft to confeffe Chrift and his words before men,of him will Christ be ashamned,& him wil he deny,when he cometh in his own glory,& in his Fathers, and of the holy Angels. It is not then the calling of us the offspring of Cerinthus or any other ufage (as wetruft) that fhall make us to neglect fo great falvation, as at the firft began to be preacht by the Lord, and bath been confirmed unto us by them that heard him. But this reproachfull language doth rather cause us to admire at your exceffive and inex cufable cufable boldneffe,who not withstanding fo many cleare prophecies, and infalible arguments, as we have alledged for the confirmati on of this truth, can yet give out, [that it hath no other father, nor a bettours, but beretiques. Surely we have intimated before, and wedoe often maintaine in our reply, that God hath both by his prophets,his Sonne,and his Apoftles revealed and taught this truth unto us; and therfore Cerinthus was no more the Father of this o pinion, then he was the Authour of the Revelation, which fome alfo have affirmed, because it doth plainely reveale the thousand yeares reigne of Christ, which Cerinthus held. Neither were the abettours of this opinion all beretiques. For as our Saviour and the Apoftles taught it, fo the primitive Chriftians beleev'd it, and after them fome of the Fathers, and fince many worthy Divines, who were I dare fay, as free from faction, and private fancies as any in the ages wherein they lived: and doubtleffe as able alfo to judge of the true meaning of the Scriptures. Preface. Ninthly, By this hiftorical narration, Beloved in the Lord, you may fee that this doctrine is no new light, revealed in this laft age (as you have heard fome teach) but an old Jewish fancy and Cerinthian fable: old errors are like old whores, that is, the more to be abborred. What I have done here is for your good: for 1.you have heard this error preached inftead of the Doctrine of Chrift, (albeit it was first preached by the enemies of Chrift) by Some of the Authours of the Apologetical-narration for Independency, who had in their Congregation not onely Millenaries, but groffe Anabaptifts: and fo their practice manifeftly declares, what they writ obfcurely in that Narration pag. 12. saying, we tooke measure of no mans holineffe by his opinion, whether adverfe unto us &c. Their Dinah is liberty of confcience their grand ammunition is Anarebie or no difcipline, and they call it a bondage to bes tied in the faith.2.The booke of M.Maton called Ifraels Redemption, bath been oft put into your hands, and upon fever all occafions of my de claring the truth in this point, you have been intreated to put that booke into my hand; wherefore you have need of an Antidote.Perufe this plaine refutation of it: wherby I hope you shall fee,that the reward of your ferving Chrift is not meate that perisheth, but everlasting life, which the Sonne of man fhall give unto you, Joh. 6.27.and that the Kingdom of God comes not with obfervation [or worldly refpect and attendance] but but bebold! the Kingdom of God is within you, Luk. 17. 20. And the wicked cannot have bope of long immunity from juft punishment of their bodies and fowles in Hell, fo our deliverance from the bondage of corrupion, into the glorious liberty of the children of God, fall not be long delayd. Walke you therefore in holineße with fincerity and cheerefulneffe, as it becomes the beires of fo great falvation, and give all diligence to make your calling and election fure: for fo an entrance fhalbe miniftred unto you aboundantly, not into an earthly Monarchy, but the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour JesusChrift. Answer. Beloved in the Lord, you are told here by Mr. Petry [that this historical Narration of the original of the Millenarian Tenet, and bis refutation of my booke, are for your good.] And had it been fo indeed,I had not now anfwered the one or repli'd unto the other;yea I had rather laid my hand upon my mouth; or empoly'd it about the publique retractation of mine own opinion. But I find not in either, ought of that fincere and upright dealing, as is pretended in these words. That which I finde is this, that Mr. Petrie, is too much of the minde of the Lawyers in the Gospel, of whom our Saviour said, Luk. 11. verfe 52. that they had taken away the key of knowledge, that they entred not in themselves, and them that were entring in, they bindred. And, that as the Pharifees beft project to discountenance our Saviours miracles, was to fay, that he did caft out Devils through Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils : and their moft prevalent motive to difgrace his doctrine, was to say, that he was a glutton, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and finners: So Mr. Petrie's chiefeft fleight to disparage the truth we hold, is to fay, [that it hath no other Father, nor abettours, but heretiques: that it is preacht by fuch as have in their Congregation, groffe Anabaptists, and are friends to whatsoever Novellers. And that it teacheth the voluptuous & carnall living of the raised Saints, and their dying againe after they are raised.] And doubtleffe, beloved, if you fhould be as ready to receive these tares into your hearts, as Mr. Petrie is to fow them there; your cares would be stuffed with prejudice,and your hearts choakt up with indignation against us:but as we wish better things unto you, fo we hope better things of you, even fuch things as accompany falvation. We hope, I fay, that you are as wife as the Bere ans zans, of whom the Apostlefaith, that they were noble, in that iboy reseized the word with all readineffe of mind, and fearched the Scriptures daily, whether thofe things were fo. And if you examine our words by this rule, by which the Bereans examined St. Paul's (and were fo highly commended by him for it)we doubt not but you will with one confent affirme, That in the point in Question, we, and not cur adverfaries, doe fay as God faith. And that we make not the meate that perisheth, but everlasting life, the reward of the glorified Saints, although we truly affirme, that thefe Saints may, and fhall eate & drinke after their refurrection. As it is said, Mat. 26. verse 29. and Luk, 22. verfe 16. 18. And that you will affirme too, that we truly hold, that the Kingdom of God is not yet come, although our Saviour Luk. 17. verfe 20. anfwered the Pharifees, who demanded, when the Kingdom of God fhould come, that the Kingdom of God was within,or amongst them. For that which our Saviour there cal'd the Kingdom of God,is not meant of the Kingdomit felfe(of which the Pharifees inquired) but of the outward meanes by which that Kingdom is obtain❜d. As it is Mat. 21. verfe 43. and thus alfo Rom. 34. verfe 17.righteoufneffe and peace and joy in the Holy Ghoft,are cald the Kingdom of God, because these things doe intitle men to that Kingdom, and manifest unto others, that they doe belong unto it: neither of which the obferving, or notobferving of difference in meats and drinks can doe. And in the 1 Cor. 4. verfe 20, it is faid, The Kingdom of God, is not in word, but in power, that is, our intereft in the Kingdom of God, is neither obtained, nor attefted by our difcourfing, preaching, and profeffing of the truth onely, but by our carefull and confcionable performance of those things which wee are commanded. And therefore, beloved, that you may not miftake the meanes and evidences of God's Kingdom,for the Kingdom it felfe; but may by the injoyment and effectual use of these, be affured in your felves, and make knowne unto others, that you are heires of that ; that you have an inheritance in the Kingdom of Chrift, and of God; we beseech the Father of our Lord Jefus Christ, that the word of Chrift may dwell in you richly in all wifdem; and that our Lord Jefus Chrift himselfe, and God even our Father, which shath loved us, and hath given us everlafting confolation,and good -hope through grace, may comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word, and worke. An A Nanswer to M. Peries Rules for interpreting of the Scripture, inferted pag. 8.9.10. 11. after his answer to the prophecy of mos ch. 9. ver. 11. &c. which partly because they were devifed of purpose to enthrall the readers judgement, that hee might not perceive the true meaning of the fcriptures; as the preface was to perIwade him that the fcripture is not the ground of the Millenarian Tenet; and partly because I would not disjoyne my replies by fuch a large digrefsion, I thought fit, beloved, to prefent unto thee in this place. His introduction to them is this. M'-Petrie. f And bere for widerstanding this, and fuch ober prophecies, I add ibefe undonbred rates. Anfwer. Undoubted rules must be grounded on undoubted authority, but thefe for the moft have none either from Heaven,or of men. The fire rule. "The land of Canaan was a type of the Kingdom of Chrift : and fo as Jerufalem and Sion: & because these were types of this Kingdom, fo glorious things were spoken of them, Pal 46.4 5. and 48. 1, 2. and 87.1.2.3.5. which texts are more safely underflood of Christ's Kingdom, then of that earthly Jerusalem and Sion: yea very hardly can ibey be underfood of them. Anfwer. You have brought no text to shew[ that the land of Canaan was #type of Chrifts Kingdom: Jbut we bring many to thew thatit fhall be the proper inheritance of Chrift,& the Saints,in the time of his Kingdom. And the glorious things which are fpoken of Jerufalem or Ston in the 46. 48. and 87. Pfalmes, and in many other places of E the |