and Honour and earthly Contentments belong, if not to this? If he govern as earthly Monarchs have done, in a worldly, vifible, earthly Glory (fuch are the Words) how is his Kingdom not of this World: Surely this is more than ever the very Jews expected, or dreamed of; they have looked for a Meffiah, that fhould exercife kingly Authority in the World; but they never looked for a glorified Meffiah to come down from Heaven to rule upon Earth. Zebedee's Wife certainly never thought of fuch a Kingdom, wherein her Sons should be the primier Peers: Neither did the good Thief think of fuch a State, when he faid, Lord, remember me when thou comeft into thy Kingdom; we have heard of an abfolute Soveraignty of Chrift, as God; of a delegated Soveraignty as Mediator; we have heard of his Rule in the Heart, of his Rule in the Church, but of his Monarchical Rule in the World, for a whole thousand Years in a worldly, vifible, earthly Glory, we never yet heard, and think it very strange News to Chriftian Ears.

But much more strange News it is, that all the Prophets fince the World began have spoken of this marvellous Monarchy, and yet that we never heard of it in the Writings of all the Fathers and Doctors of the Chriftian Church, till this Day: It is no whit ftrange, that God's People fhould be abufed by the feigned Gloffes of Men, drawing thofe Scrip tures which speak of Chrift's coming to the final Judgment of the World, to the Senfe of that imaginary Kingdom which hath being no where but in their own Brain; but without any Intention of a formal Confutation, I purpofe only to give fome light touches at thofe paradoxal and unwarrantable Pofitions, which I meet with in this Difcourfe.

That in this vifible Monarchy of Chrift he shall change all worldly Cuftoms, and put down all

kingly

kingly Power and Greatnefs (however juft) and fet up a new; fo as there fhall be no more Lords but he, even as the earthly Monarchies fwallowed all kingly Power under them, may well pafs for a fufficient Paradox: We grant indeed, there fhall be none in Competition with him, even in his fpiritual Rule; but that there fhall be none in Subordination to him in his fuppofed vifible Monarchy, were too bold a Word.

That there fhall be a double Judgment, one a thousand Years before the other; the one wherein many, both Saints and Sinners, fhall be judged, and that with great Terror and Solemnity, which fhall be a general Judging (tho' not to the fecond Death) of all the Ungodly in the World; at least of all that will not ftoop to Chrift's Scepter; the other of all Devils and Men, upon the Expiration of those thousand Years, in that univerfal Appearance before God at that great Day, is an Affertion as bold as groundless.

We have heard of a particular Doom paffing upon every Soul immediately upon the Parting from this House of Clay; and of a general Judicature in thofe common Affizes of the World; but of a middle Seffions, betwixt both thefe, in which all the ungodly fhall be arraigned, and fentenced to a temporal Death, or perpetual Vaffalage, was never either fpoken of by God, or heard of by Men.

That there is a threefold coming of Chrift. The firft, when he came to take our Nature; the fecond, when he comes to receive his Kingdom; the third, when he comes to Judge all, and end the World, may well pass for a Paradox, not inferior to the reft; befides, the metaphorical comings of Chrift to any Soul, or Nation, whether in Mercy, or Judgment; we have ever heard of one coming of our Saviour, paft, in human Weakness; another to

come in divine Power, and Glory; but that there' fhould be a third coming down from Heaven to' Earth, betwixt thefe, is ftrange News to Chriftian! Ears; which were heretofore wont to be inured to our old Apoftolic, Athanafian, and Nicene Creeds; and to hear, From thence fhall he come to Fudge the Quick and the Dead: No coming therefore till he come to Judgment; and that there may be no thought of an intermediate and partial Judgment in the Beginning of that thoufand Years, the Creed which we were wont to profefs in our Baptifm, ran thus; We believe that in the End of the World, he Shall come to Judge the Quick and the Dead; lo, in the End of the World, not a thousand Years before it.'

Let all good Chriftians ftick close to their old Creeds, the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints, and not fuffer themselves to be carried away with every Gale of new Doctrine. That of Tertullian is a fure Rule, Primum verum, the first is true.

Neceffarily depending upon this, is that other grofs Conceit of a double general Refurrection; the one, of thofe Saints which were dead before this coming of Chrift which fhall be raised up a thoufand Years before the reft at his next coming;, the other of all Flesh at the End of the World, and the final coming and Judgment. But whether that first Refurrection fhall be only proper and peculiar to Martyrs that have died for the Name of Chrift, or common to all the Saints; let our Chiliefts argue among themselves; their Opinions do no lefs difagree from each other, than they all do from the Truth: Alas, good Martha, thou wert much deceived, when thou faidft concerning thy Brother Lazarus, I know he fball rife again in the Refurrection at the laft Day; Why, Woman, the Refurrection of that Saint, thy Brother, fhall be a thousand Years fooner than thou thoughteft

thoughteft of; neither did St. Paul ever take Notice of this firft Refurrection of the Saints; while he adjures his Timothy before God, and the Lord Jesus Chrift, who fball judge the Quick and the Dead at his Appearing For furely the Lord JESUS's judging of the Quick and Dead (indefinitely spoken) muft fuppofe a Resurrection of all the Dead whom he judgeth; but here, faith the Chiliaft, is only in Chrift's next appearing, a Refurrection of the dead Saints, and a judging of none but the Wicked which are found alive; for their rifing out of their Graves is referved for the laft and univerfal Judg ment; fo as by that rule Chrift fhould not at his appearing Judge both the Quick and the Dead.

Anfwerable to this double Refurrection is the Paradox of Chrift's threefold Afcenfion into Heaven; for (faith Mr. Archer) when Chrift hath thus put his Kingdom into Form, he will withdraw from Earth to Heaven again, and leave the Government to the dead Saints raised up; they and all Believers fhall rule the World; and if thefe all fhall govern, who are those that shall be governed? There are none left upon Earth, but Saints raised to Immortality, and Saints found alive, who are perfect Believers; and fome few Slaves fpared from Death for Servitude. See now what an honourable Employment, and fingular Privilege and Honour here is for Saints immortalized, and tranflated from Death to Life, to be the Governors of fome fturdy and rebellious Vaffals: In the mean time, Chrift the glorious King of his Church, is returned back into Heaven, and will govern the Earth by his Deputies; what a mean Conceit is this, which thefe Men profefs to have of the King of eternal Glory? That he who hath faid, Behold, I am with you always even until the End of the World, whofe Majefty fills Heaven, and Earth, fhould come down to put on his

Kingdom

Kingdom here below, to be governed by certain Delegates, and then with-draw to his Heaven; what is this but poorly to Circumfcribe the infinite Majefty of Heaven within the Terms of a finite Adminiftration? And now in this fecond Afcenfion we hear no News of the Attendance of his Retinue; he that brought down the Souls of his Saints, to wait upon him in this Defcent; for the receiving of this inferior Kingdom, fhall leave them behind him with their old (but new-raifed) Partners to fpend a thousand Years upon Earth; at the end whereof, he fhall come down again, and fetch them up with him in his third Afcenfion to the highest Heaven. What an high Prefumption is this in Flesh and Blood, to fend the Son of God the Lord Jefus, from Heaven to Earth, and from Earth to Heaven, upon an Errand of their own making? When himself in his Holy Scriptures never speaks but of a double Afcent of Chrift; the one (which is paft) from Mount Olivet (where the Impreffions of his facred Feet are ftill faid to be) forty Days after his Refurrection; the other future, when after the general Judgment of the World, he shall carry up all his Elect with him to his heavenly Glory,

CONCLUSIO N.

The Reader has now laid before him moft of the Arguments, Pro and Con, relating to the Millenarian Syftem, and is at full Liberty to judge on both Sides the Queftion, and to adhere to which he fhall think moft Rational

The anonymous Writer of this Tract, intitled, The Revelation Unrevealed, wholly oppofes the Notion of The RESTAURATION of the JEWS, for,

fays