AN APPEAL To the present Rulers in ENGLANDS ISRAEL. Touching Impious blasphemy against Jesus Christ God the son of late explicitly broached in a scroll scribbled by one William Farmer giving himself the title Gent: AS ALSO, Touching Ignorance, and Error implicitly, but indeed peremptorily by interrogation a concluding way of Argument charged upon the same Rulers in his frontispiece, or Mock-title about a Clause contained in the Apostles Creed, and about the real truth of JESUS CHRIST. Wherein the appellant modestly, and humbly prayeth the same Rulers to vindicate the honour of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ from horrid impious blaphemy, and their own Reputations, and knowledges from calumniation of Error, and Ignorance. Hereunto is annexed an Advertisement to Millenaries with a forcible Argument framed by our Lord Christs own words against their opinion for his personal reign on Earth 1000. years occasioned by the same jugglings of WILLIAM FARMER. By Ri. Foster Schism. Gent. LONDON,[ Printed for Charles Sumptner in the year 1650. AN APPEAL To the present Rulers in ENGLANDS ISRAEL. MEN, Fathers, and Brethren, this Appeal is presented unto ye from him, who thereby out of his duty to God, and love to his Country with a vehement, and fervent desire endeavoureth to vindicate as well the honour, and truth of God, and his word from unheard of impious blasphemy, which ignorantly, and impudently( my charity will not permit me to say maliciously in contempt of God) a certain scribbler one William Farmer blattereth out against the divine essence of the second person of the Trinity of the Godhead, as also your judgements, and knowledges from error, and ignorance, which he boldly chargeth upon ye out of his simplo, but pragmatical ignorance, because( as may appear by venting such stuff) he would get himself a name, and be esteemed some body in this new quicksilver age, I suppose that your wisdoms will be better pleased with those compellations, which Paul used to the Jews, and to their high Priests, and council, when he made defence for his life, and Doctrine, the Doctrine of Christ, than with any turgent titles, and compellations. I therefore so appeal, and apply myself to ye, as he did to the Iewes, their high Priests, council, and Governors, when he had been violently handled, and beaten by the Iewes, and was accused before their Rulers. Your appellant conceiveth, because this scroll of William Farmers in the frontispiece thereof standing for a title is no title, nor doth promise the learned, and judicious, that there is any solidity in the body thereof, and therefore giveth them no encouragement to view, peruse, and castigate it, that it passeth uncontrolled; for aquila non capit muscas, they not apprehending it worthy answer, or confutation; and therefore hath presumed to acquaint ye therewith, that ye may apply speedy and wholesome remedies to this infectious and spreading gangrene. And he hath good cause to suspect that this scribbler hath an itching desire to corrupt others with his own errors, and blasphemy, and to scatter his reproaches and calumnations against ye, because in the foot of his mock-title, he pretendeth hearty desires for the manifestation of the truths of God, and Jesus Christ, and the utter extirpation of the errors of men,( though none more manifest than his own even in this blasphemy) and distributeth his scrowls with his own hand to women, who are many of them easily entangled with such bird-lime. For by that means only they came to my view. He saith in his first clause that the Church of England doth allow of, and aclowledge three Creeds, and that the now Assembly of Divines have adheringly ratified, confirmed, and manifested them all, wherefore he calleth that Doctrine the article of Christs descension into hell, hellish, Antichristian; Romish, an erroneous, and diabolical Doctrine. See the beginning of his sixth partition in his second page., where he saith, that it ariseth from the misinterpretation of the words of the Apostle Peter by him there rehearsed. But why doth he take upon him to expound those words of Peter( 1 of Peter oa. 3. ver. 18.) like a blind Doctor not discerning the circumstance of time, when it was Christs spirit, which was yesterday, is to day, and the same for ever, preached to the spirits, that were in prison, which were in times passed disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God abode. If he had had but half an eye of spiritual understanding, he might have seen ( once) annexed to ( when) and that both ( once and when) have manifest relation to a more perspicuous evidence of time, viz. in the dayes of Noe while the ark was preparing. If his Doctorship had had a moderate spirit, before he had published such stuff, he would have consulted with some of our modern Divines, of whom the most learned would have given him this same very sense as before, and that Christ was then, and from eternity quickened in spirit, which I fear, he either forgot, or did not know, and that he did never red those Scriptures shortly following strong arguments for that article of the Creed, which he both cavilleth at, and also confesseth. If he hath red them, either he doth not understand them, or else he hath a weak memory. And why then notwithstanding his own exposition, and the concurrence of our modern Divines in substance doth he belch out against ye such virulent, uncharitable, and( as I may say) unchristian words, as hellish, Antichristian, Romish, diabolical, since he himself about ten lines before in the top of his second page. saith that the human body of Christ was laid in the grave, that was in hell: because the grave is the dead bodies hell, and the grave is called hell in divers Scriptures, and so is the Nicene Creed to be understood, And if ye so understand it as I suppose ye do, hath not this scribbler most scandalously abused ye all? Vindicate therefore yourselves ye rulers of Englands Israel, and the divine truth, and your knowledges thereof from the aspersions, and corruptions of such illiterate, mechanical, impudent, bold bayards, who pervert the Scriptures. I beseech ye also show him how to reconcile his own carnal reason, and assertion in his fourth partition of his first page., where without authority of Scripture he saith speaking of Christ, when his God-head was departed from his manhood he had finished and fulfilled all Scripture as a sufferer, because he was a perfect Christ no longer then he was God and man, no more than a dead man is a perfect man. Let him produce Scripture to prove that he was not at any time a perfect Christ, and not God and man at all times, and that his. God-head forsook and departed from his man-hood, I will crave pardon of him in that I have called him scribbler and blasphemer. But because I hope to be saved by the incarnation, passion, death, burial, and resurrection of the second person in the Trinity, without belief of which I cannot be saved, I say, as I wish himself William Farmer to say, Lord, I believe, Lord help mine unbelief. For man alone by all those could not have satisfied Gods wrath against mans sin. I beseech ye therefore urge these Scriptures following unto him, and let him contradict them by Scripture, if he mean to make his assertion good, which he can no more do,( let me use his own words) than he can make a dead man a perfect man: videlicet, Psalm 16, v. 10. Thou wilt not leave my soul in grave, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Was that holy one only the human flesh? was that soul the human body? Can that soul be said not to be left in grave, which never came there? and Isatah ca. 53. where there is matter enough contained to convince him, and principally the 10. verse in these words, videlicet; When he shal make his soul an offering for sin, and 9. vers, he made his grave with the wicked, confirmed in the Acts, ca. 2. v. 27. 31. and Ephes. ca. 4. v. 9. in these words, videlicet; Now in that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lowest parts of the earth? further in the 8. ca: of John, v. 16. I am not alone, but I and the Father, that sent me, and v. 29. For he that sent me, is with me, the Father hath not left me alone, together with that of Peter 1 Epistle, 3. ca. 18. ver. which he himself citeth in his second page. viz. being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the Spirit. Dare any man, that hopeth to be saved by his death then say that the God-head and the Holy Ghost departed from him?( Lord let us not be carnally lead by natural reason to fancy a separation of thy Godhead from thy manhood contrary t● thy word, lest thou by thy word cast us into that eternal grave, which thou for us by thy death hast vanquished.) Those texts of Luke 23. 42, 43. where Christ answered the thiefs prayer( who said unto him on the across, Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom) saying, this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise, make nothing for the departure of the Godhead of Christ from his human body, except he mean to take away the ubiquity of the Deity, and make it then not infinite, and incomprehensible, but circumscriptible as a human body. Besides these his absurdities, manifest contradictions, nonsense, and arrogant presumption to make his own assertions without warrant of Scripture in his own opinion as authentic as an Oracle, as he doth in the third page. of his first scroll, and pretended positive Doctrine, that Christ did not descend into hel, which appeareth in these words? where he saith, that the Romish Doctors, and their antichristian diabolical doctrine with their false interpretations is confuted, when he hath produced no argument real, or effectual; but his own dogmatical assertion that Peters words are to be interpnted, and understood as he fancieth urging no reason at al, but ( thus). There is a third more gross and impious blasphemy contained in his second Section, in which he saith that Jesus Christ shal reign 1000 years on earth. In the two last lines of the sixth page., and the first five lines of the seventh page. thereof he hath these words following; videlicet, therefore Jesus Christ, though the Son of God by the love of God to the world must take upon him sinful flesh, that thereby he might redeem man from the sins of the flesh under which work of redemption Jesus Christ though perfect God as well as perfect man during the time of his mortal flesh, which he did receive from the Virgin, must be, and was subject to the principalities, and powers of this world, even to the devil himself, and his instrumental members. I beseech ye, since he there confesseth that Jesus Christ was perfect God, ask him five Questions. 1. Whether he being perfect God was mortal, or took upon him sinful flesh? 2. Whether mortal, and sinful flesh payed a satisfactory ransom for the redemption of man from the bondage of sin, and pacification of Gods wrath against sin? 3. Whether he received his flesh from the Virgin, or the holy Ghost, whether the Virgin conceived him, or the holy Ghost? 4. Whether God was, or can be subject to the Devil? 5. What is the full sense, and signification of the word, subject? for there he affirmeth that Jesus Christ being perfect God was subject to the Devil. Touching the devils tempting Christ, Lukes fourth chap. first vers, and 14. will take away al scruples. Give me leave also to lay before ye and him certain Scriptures, which will sufficiently evince him of ignorance, and blasphemy, and being collected together will help your memories to charge him therewith. Touching the first, that Jesus Christ was not mortal, nor took upon him sinful flesh, but was of the same essence, eternal, and coequal with God the Father. Gen. cap: 1. v. 26. Let us make man according to our own image. Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed, and her seed; He shal break thine head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Isaiah ca: 53. v. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no wickedness, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 1 Peter ca: 2. v. 22. Who did no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth. 1 John ca: 3. v. 5. And we know that he appeared, that he might take away our sins, and in him is no sin. 1 Timothy ca: 6. v. 15, 16. The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords only hath immortality. &c. John 1. 1, 2, 3, 14. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and that word was God. The same word was in the beginning with God. Al things were made by it, and without it was nothing made, that was made. — And the word was made flesh, and dwelled amongst us. Ephe. 1. 3, 4. Blessed bee God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whichhath blessed us with al spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ, As heehath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. John 8. 16. 19. Bee equally prevalent to prove immortality, and not separation. Col. 1. 16, 17. For by him were all things created, which are in heaven, and which are in earth, things visible, and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, principalities, or powers, all things were created by him, and for him. Mat. 3. 17. And lo a voice came from heaven, saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. and 17. 5. This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Confirmed in Mark 1. 11. and in Luke 3. 22. and John 6. 69. and 20. 28. 31. Heb. 1. 3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the engraven form of his person, &c. The precedent words( being the Son of God) sheweth that he is the antecedent to who. Rev. 1. 5. 8. 11. 17. Jesus Christ a faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and prince of the Kings of the earth, &c. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning, and the ending saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, even the Almighty, the first and the last. Touching the second, that mortal and sinful flesh did not redeem man from the bondage of sin, and pacify Gods wrath. Rom. 8. 32. Who spared not his own Son; but gave him for us all to death. 1 John 2. 1, 2. We have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the just. And he is the reconciliation for our sins. Mat. 16. 16, 17. Then Simon Peter answered, and said, Thou art Christ the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed art thou, Simon the Son of Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven. John 3. 16, 17. For God so loved the world, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world, that he should condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved: and 6. 69. John 10. 9. I am the door, by me if any man enter, he shall be saved. and 11. 25. Jesus said unto her, I am the Resurrection and the life. and 14. 6. I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. and 16. 23. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in my name, he shall give it you. Acts 20. 28.— To feed the Ghurch of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood: Rom. 3. 25, Whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood. and 5. 10. We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. and 8. 32. 34, who spared not his own Son, but gave him for us all to death. Who is also at the right hand of God, and maketh request for us. 2. Cor. 5. 19. For God was in Christ, and reconciled the world to himself. Col. 1. 14, 15, 16, 17. In whom we have redemption through his blood, that is, the forgiveness of sins. 1. Tim. 2. 5, 6. For there is one God, and mediator between God and man, which is the man Jesus Christ— Who gave himself for all men. Touching the third, that our blessed Saviour J●sus Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost, not by the Virgin, nor did receive sinful and mortal fl●sh from the Virgin, howsoever it was human flesh. Is●. 7. 14. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shee shall call his name Immanuel. Jer. 31. 22. How long wilt thou go astray, O rebellious daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth; a woman shall compass a man. Mat. 1. 18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was thus; When as his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, shee was found with child of the Holy Ghost. and 20. v. That which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. and 23. v. Behold a virgin shall be with Child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which is by interpretation, God with us. Luke 1. 26. to 29. Where amongst the rest in the 34, and 35. are these words, viz. Then Mary said unto the angel, how shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the Angel anwered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most high shall overshadow thee, therefore also that holy thing, which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God, Gal. 4. 4. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, and made under the Law. Touching the fourth, although this dogmaticall Rabbi, besides by his own confession, is sufficiently convinced touching all the first four queries, yet I beseech ye, let it not be tedious to red a few more for the fuller satisfaction of weak capacities, for whose sakes in part the appellant hath undergone this task, though principally for the glory of God, whereby it may evidently appear that Jesus Christ because perfect God, was not, nor could be subject to the devil. Isaiah 9. 6, 7. For unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given, and the government is upon his shoulder, and he shall call his name Wonderful, counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace, the increase of his government, and peace shall have none end. he shal sit upon the Throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgement, and with justice from henceforth even for ever; the Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this. Isaiah 25. 8. He will destroy death for ever, &c. Hosea 13. 14. I will redeem them from the power of the grave, I will deliver them from death: O death, I will bee thy death, O grave, I will be thy destruction. This is confirmed by the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 15. 54, 55, 56, 57. Micah 5. 2. And thou Bethlehem Ephrathah art little to bee among the thousands of Israel, yet out of thee he shal come forth unto me, that shal be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from the beginning, and from everlasting. Lukes. 33. And he shal reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his Kingdom shal bee none end. John 3. 35. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given al things into his hands. and 17. 3. This is life eternal, that they know thee to bee the only very God, and whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ. 1 Gor. 15. 25: For he must reign till he hath put al things under his feet. Col. 1. 15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature. 16. ver. For by him were al things created, which are in heaven, and which are in earth, things visible, and invisible, whether they bee thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, al things were created by him, and for him, 17. ver. and he is before al things, and in him al things consist. 19. ver. It pleased the father, that in him should al fullness dwell. And Col. 2. 9. For in him dwelleth al the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Phi. 2. 6, 7, 8. Who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to bee equal with God. But he made himself of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant, and was made like unto men, and was found in shape as a man. He humbled himself, and became obedient unto the death, even the death of the across. 2 Tim. 1. 10. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our faviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Heb. 2. 8. 14. Thou hast put al things in subjection under his feet, and in that he hath put al things in subjection under him, he left nothing, that should not be subject unto him. Forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh, and blood, he also himself likewise took part with them, that he might destroy through death him, that had the power thereof, that is, the devil. Rev. 7. 17. For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shal govern them, and shal led them unto the lively fountains of waters, and God shal wipe away al tears from their eyes. And the 19. 13. he was clothed with a garment dipped in blood, and his name is called the word of God. and 16. v. H●e hath upon his garment, and upon his thigh a name written, The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Proverbs 8. 22, 23. The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way; I was before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, and before the earth. and so to the 32 vers. Touching the fifth, that is the signification of the word ( subject), it may evidently appear that this blasphemer knoweth it not, which he might have learned of a schooleboy understanding the verb, and preposition, that iacior signifieth to bee cast or laid, and that sub signifieth under, and therefore ( subject) which is compounded, and derived from those two words must of necessity signify ( cast, or laidvnder). If these 5. queries bee well examined by the texts of scriptures aforementioned severally relating to each, and in some measure jointly to al, is it not then contumacious, and impious blasphemy to writ, or say, that the wonderful, counsellor, mighty God, everlasting father, Prince of peace( whom the winds, and sea obeied, whose word the devil, and devills obeied, and at his commandement departed, and asked leave of him even to enter into swine, and by whom, and for whom al principalities, and powers were created, who is yesterday, today, and the same for ever) took upon him sinful flesh, and received mortal flesh from the virgin, and was subject to principalities and powers, even to the devil himself, and that there was a time of his mortal flesh, & nonage, & that there is now an interregnum in his dominion, and government, and that the devil hath now his kingdom in the world? Nevertheless so doth William Farmer writ in his 7. page.. And is not this as great an error, even as arrogant presumption as ever was, to undertake to lay open the real truth of Jesus Christ in such fustian, causey terms, full of contradictions, without sense, coherence, or probable argument either theological, logical, scholastical, or rational inference, but merely supposititious, and selfishly dogmatical? al this may appear by his own words in the 4. line upwards in the 16. page., and the 1. and 2. lines of the 17. page.. Sometimes he confesseth that, which he calleth error and ignorance in ye the rulers of Englands Israel, as may appear by the last line in the 2. page. with retrospection to the three first precedent lines in the same partition. So in many other of his lines he contradicteth himself as may appear in the foot of his sixth page., where by allusion to Cain son to Adam and Eve with a learned inference he concludeth thus; therefore, and thereby is Jesus Christ only and alone known to be the Son of God, because he was not conceived by the sinful and lustful seed of man: but as he confesseth, the text saith, he was, and none but he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary( whom there he calleth) a virgin, because with child, &c. O Valid reason and well closed together! O learned rabbi in our English Israel! How then received Jesus Christ mortal flesh from the virgin, when the Holy Ghost conceived? Yet in the two last lines of the same sixth page., and five lines in the 7 page., he saith that Jesus Christ though the Son of God, must take upon him sinful flesh, & though perfect God as well as perfect man during the time of his mortal flesh, which he did receive from the virgin, must be, and was subject to Principalities and powers, even to the devil himself, and all his wicked instrumental members, saying, give unto caesar that which is Cesars; for my kingdom is not of this world during the principality of the devil.( I beseech ye take notice of the word ( saying) and judge of the coherence, and congruity, for grammatical form, and sense of writing bringeth its reference to the substantive went last before it, which is ( members) or to ( the devil himself). In that 7. page., as also in many other places of his limitation of Christs kingdom to 1000. yeares on earth, to possess, and enjoy which( as he intendeth) he is not yet descended from Heaven, he William Farmer taketh upon him to make a fuller exposition of Christs words then their sense containeth, the words being full, and absolute, viz. My kingdom is not of this world: but he by his paraphrase thereon, blasphemously addeth these, viz. during the principality of the devil, most abominably presuming a defect in Christs expression, as not answerable to his meaning, and plainly intendeth an interregnum of Christs kingdom, and to make the d●vill the present ruler on the earth. If this be sound and true theology, and orthodoxal, and if Christ have no kingdom on earth, is not this learned Rabbi of the devills kingdom, and not of Christs? If he be asked of what kingdom all the Apostles after the ascension of Christ, and all the Martyrs in the primitive Church, and all our Martyrs of late yeares, who died for the testimony of Jesus, and the word of God, were, and himself is, what will he say, will he say that Christ after his ascension neither had, nor hath any kingdom on earth, until his supposed time of 1666. comes? If he had consulted with the Evangelist Luke Cap. 17. 20, 21. he would have shewed him where the kingdom of Christ hath been ever since, and ever shall be on earth. These his absurdities, contradictions, incoherences, incongruities, together with his arrogant presumption, ignorant errors, improper, immaterial, frivolous inferences, and abominable impious blasphemies have I pointed ye to for the ease of your own labours and that the weaker sort of capacities ungrounded in the fundamentals of Faith and Religion may be undeceived, and may be admonished to beware of such new dogmaticall doctrine, and damnable heresies, in which many are too easily caught according to the prediction of Peter in his 2 Epistle 2. Cap. 1. 2 v.— There shall be false teachers among you, which privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord, that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift damnation. And many shall follow their damnable ways, by whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. To the same purpose judas v. 4. saith, There are certain men cerpt in, which were before of old ●rdeined to this condemnation; u●godly men they are, which turn the grace of God into wantonn●ss, and deny God the only Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ. If this undertaker to discover real truths be not one of these false teachers, which Peter foretelleth of, and judas charactereth, he is very like one of them, even as like as the popedom is like the fourth beast, false Prophet, and the Antichrist so much spoken of in the holy Scriptures. For by extenuation, limitation, restriction, or diminution he denieth the true essence, and everlasting power of the deity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as may appear by those holy Scriptures aforementioned, if they be laid against his jugglings. He hath done only as some young simplo maid-servant often doth, being sent by her mistress into a plentiful garden abounding with all sorts of wholesome herbs fit, and useful for pleasant broth, and sweet herbs, and flowers unmeet, and unfit for the same, and not altogether clear of hemlock, and worse, and more unwholesome weeds: she gathereth promiscuously of all, both herbs, flowers, and weeds; which being brought to her mistress, she cannot make use of any, until she hath separated the herbs wholesome for pottage, from the redolent flowers, and stinking weeds. So this manifester of real truths, as he pretendeth himself in his mock-title page., hath gathered together out of the rich and bountiful word of God, some scriptures conducing to faith, and salvation, some to prophesy, foreshowing things to come not absolutely necessary to salvation, yet necssary to be believed if rightly understood: but amongst them he hath shuffled in, and intermixed hemlock, and stinking weeds of non-sense, and his own fantastical imaginary suppositions, and conjoined them with the scriptures in as evil, and unsuitable a composnre; as if a garment of Velvet, satin, cloth of gold, or of silver were sowed together with packthred fit for sacks; which he knoweth better how to handle, than he doth to handle Gods divine word. If every particular of his grossfailings should be pursued effectually, my appeal would swell into a volume too large both for the wisdom of these times, as also for the simplo uncertain giddiness thereof. For few men affect solidity, but most men red only to please their own fancies. Besides the man would conjecture that I thought him worthy of an answer, which I utterly deny, and am much grieved that there is no restraint for such Pamphletters. If I should punctually answer him, I should writ much to as small purpose, as he hath done little to no purpose, save to spread his ignorance, error and blasphemy. Our blessed Saviour warned his Disciples to be wise as serpe●ts, innocent as doves. Therefore doubtless policy is as lawful and necessary for Christians as piety, so as it go hand in hand with piety. Policy without pie●y is seldome-times conversant in good, and just enterprises, and therefore not innocent, but nocent, and piety without christian policy oftentimes falleth into deadly snares, and extremities, and is without safety being not guided by wisdom. Wherefore out of zeal to the honor of God, and love to my own Nation, I humbly crave leave a little modestly to expostulate. Because although ye be vigilant, circumspectly and diligent in calling men to account, and punishing them, who only in words do thwart your way of government, yet if ye be not as tender of the honor of God, and as careful to prevent his dishonour, and to restrain the dishonorers, how can ye stand? for, ye know, God is a jealous God, his anger a consuming fire, by his grace and favour ye must stand, or by his frowns fall. That of Deuteronomy ca: 32. is worthy your consideration, where after God threatened the Israelites for their backsliding and abominations beginning at the 15 vers to the 26. God is mindful of his mercy, and expresseth the same in the 26. 27, 28, 29. verses, and is grieved that they are a nation voided of counsel, and without understanding, and wisheth that they would be wise and consider their latter end, and then promiseth them victory over the heathen. I for my part will persuade al men, as Gamaliel mentioned in the 5. ca: of the Acts did persuade the chief priests, the council, and the Sect of the Sadduces, who had laid hands on the Apostles, and put them in prison, and I will say no more, but as he did, ye men of England take heed what ye intend to do, &c. For if this counsel, or this work be of men, it will come to nought, but if it be of God, it cannot be destroyed. I myself will obey in temporal things, and in spiritual suffer if there be cause; for the salvation of my soul dependeth not on this, or that government, and we are al bound by the law of God to obey governors. I have no warrant by Gods word to kill, or resist either for governments sake or my faiths, and religions sake. For the Prophet Habakkuk saith in his 2. ca: 4. v. Behold, he that lifteth up himself, his mind is not upright in him; but the just shal live by his faith. As I am confident that ye are sensible of the burden lying upon ye, so am I that ye are not insensible of the enmity bent against our Nation, and chiefly against ye both foreign and proximious, al Europe being enraged against ye, if not some other parts of the earth. And give me leave, I beseech ye, to advertise ye that ye are in greater peril through schism, and heresy, which unless restrained from its violent, rash, and headlong precipitancy will not only distracted this humorous giddy nation into a multitude of irreconcilable, unquenchable, fiery factions, but also provoke the wrath of God as grievously against ye, as the Israelites provoked him against themselves by mixing with the idolatrous heathens, by learning their manners, customs, and idolatries; for so through Gods indignation ye shall become a prey to your enemies: The tongues, and pens of ignorant schismatics will give ye more and more deadly wounds than the swords of al your enemies, and al worldly enmity can give ye. Ought not learning then to be cherished, that it may minister grace and peace both in press, and pulpit? I do not take upon me to direct, yet I humbly crave leave to bring to your remembrance for an example the actions, and carriage of good rulers Kings of Israel, who had special callings, and some of them extraordinary callings, as Joshua, David, Josiah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, how tender and zealous they were of and for the honor of God, and to inquire into the causes of Gods wrath in their affliction, and to remove the causes, and causers thereof by removing idolatry, breaking down the images, groves, and altars, and the like, as ppeareth Joshua ca: 24. v. 15. 25. that he made a covenant with God, and the people, to serve the holy God of Israel, and to that purpose gave the people an ordinance and a law in Shechem. The zeal of David is to be seen in 2 Samuel ca: 21. vers 1. to 10. The zeal of Josiah. 2 Kings ca. 22. v. 11, 12, 13. and ca: 23. v. 1, 2, 3. and 2 Chron, ca: 34. v. 21. 30, 31, 32, 33. The zeal of Asa. 1 Kings ca: 15. v. 11. 12, 13. The zeal of jehoshaphat, 2 Chron: ca: 17. v. 6, 7, 8, 9. and ca: 19. v. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. The zeal of Hezekiah, 2 Chron: ca, 29. v. 5, 6. 7, 8, 9. 10. I humbly crave the same leave also to bring to your remembrance the comminations of the Lord of Hosts against them that rest upon their policies, and the arm of flesh, and seek not to the holy one of Israel in extremities. Videlicet Isaiah 31. 1. Wo unto them that go down to Egypt for help, and stay upon horses, and trust in Chariots, because they are many, and in horsemen because they be very strong: but they look not to the holy one of Israel, nor seek unto the Lord, and Jeremiah ca: 34. ver. 15, 16, 17, 18, 20. And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight in proclaiming liberty, every man to his neighbour, and ye had made a covenant before me in the house whereupon my name is called. But ye repented, and polluted my name: for ye have caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and hold them in subjection to be unto ye as servants, and as handmaids. Therefore thus saith the Lord, ye have not obeied me in proclaiming freedom every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold I proclaim a liberty to you, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine, and I will make you a terror to al the Kingdoms of the earth. And I will give those men, that have broken my covenant, and have not kept the words of the covenant, which they had made before me, &c. I will even give them into the hands of their enemies, and into the hands of them, that seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the field. Since then no Church, no nation, no particular person can have protection but only from the Lord of hosts, under whose protection is assured safety, as the Prophet David saith Psalm. 91. v. 1. Whoso dwelleth in the secret of the most high shal abide in the shadow of the almighty; I will conclude with Davids prayer for the Church in his 68. Psalm: ver. 1. 28, 29. 30. Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered! Thy God hath appointed thy strength, stablish o God that, which thou hast wrought in us, Out of thy temple upon Jerusalem, and Kings shal bring presents unto thee. Destroy the company of the spear-men, and the multitude of the mighty bulls with the calves of the people, that tread under feet pieces of silver: scatter the people that delight in war. William Farmers paper is to be had at John Hancocks shop in Popes-head alley. An advertisement to men infected with the blasphemous Millenary schism, or heresy, or rather abominable phantasy, or damnable frenzy. MEn and brethren, if it once appeared unto ye, that ye could not hold the Millenary opinion without contempt of the words of Christ, and his gospel, or at least without annihilation, and making voided the validity, and power of many Scriptures, even Christs own words, and without extenuation, limitation, restriction, or diminution of the true, and eternal essence, and power of the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ ye would hate, abhor, and abandon it, as one of those heresies of which sanct Peter foretold, and which sanct lude describeth as is before mentioned in this appeal. I will do my best endeavour that al this may appear unto ye by valid argument, both that the Millenary opinion doth al this and also that it doth wrest the Scriptures to its fantastical, frenetical, and damnable suppositions, the same Scriptures, on which it is built, holding forth a clean contrary sense easily to be understood by ordinary capacities. I will begin with a Syllogism thus. Every man affirming, and maintaining that Christ shal personally reign on earth in his human body perverteth, and annihilateth the Scriptures, even the words of Christ. But every Milenary doth affirm, and maintain it. Therefore every Millenary perverteth, and and ihilateth the Scriptures even the words of Christ. If a Millenary deny the minor proposition, he denieth himself, and dispute is ended. The mayor being denied must be proved by an instance in particulars, thus. The words of Christ in the 17. of Iohns gospel, are these, vers 11. Now I am no more in the world, and in the 18. cap. thereof, vers 36. My kingdom is not of this world; and again, My kingdom is not from hence. But the Millenaries affirm, and maintain that Christ shal be more in the world, and that his Kingdom shal be in this world, and from hence contrary to his own words, and full expressions. Therefore they pervert, and annihilate the Scriptures even the words of Christ. The seraphical spirit of the Millenary William Farmer aforementioned will hardly put this argument into his biggest canvas bag, or sack, if he had the greatest shop in London full of sacks. There are Scriptures enough urged before in the appeal to beat down the frenetical, blasphemous and damnable opinion of the absolute kingdom of the devil on earth, and the inter regnum of Ch●●sts Kingdom, without both which the Millenary opinion is voided, and vanisheth. I beseech ye al therefore, whom it concerneth, to weigh well the words of Peter in his second Epistle, cap 3. v. 16, 17. where showing that in Pauls epistles there are some things hard to be understood, and that the unlearned, and unstable pervert, and wrest them, as they do also other Scriptures to their own destruction, he exhorteth the Church in general to beware lest they be plucked away with the error of the wicked, and f●l from their own steadfastness. I beseech ye also to learn the doctrine of Paul in his first Epistle to Tim. ca. 1. v. 4, 5, 6, 7. where he admonisheth not to give heed to fables and genealogies, which are endless, which breed questions rather then godly edifying, which is by faith. For the end of the commandement is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and faith unfeigned; from the which some have erred, and have turned unto vain jangling. They would be Doctors of the law, and yet understand not what they speak, neither whereof they affirm. Is not this vain jangling to divulge that either in print, or pulpit, which is not necessary, nor conducing to salvation? Is not learning then requisite for the exposition of hard places of Scripture? Is it necessary to salvation to believe, or not to believe that Christ shal hereafter reign in his human body personally on earth 1000 years, when he himself said on the across, It is finished, and before his passion, I go to my Father, and when throughout the whole body of the Scripture there is no such doctrine of faith holden forth unto us, and when Christ saith, * Jo. 17. 3. This is life eternal to know thee to be the only very God, and whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ. ‖ Mat. 24. 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42. Luk. 17. 26. &c. 2 Thes. 5. 2. 2 Pet. 3. 10. R●v 3. 3. and 16, 15. Mat. 24. 42. 44. Mar. 13. 33. 35. Luke 12. 39. 40. And when he saith likewise that his second coming shal be as sudden and unexpected, as the flood in the dayes of Noe, which will be without al doubt the day of judgement. For at the same time, and in the same place, he saith that several ones shal be taken, and several ones shal be refused. Paul, Peter, and John in his Revelations say that Christ shal come like a thief in the night, and his own words in Matthew, Mark, and Luke concur thereunto. Doth not the Millenary opinion then pervert, and make voided all these Scriptures, and no less many of those before cited, as also many of those cited in the appeal? I can but pity them, who are poisoned with it, and use the Prophet Davids words to them, Viz. Why takest thou my covenant in thy mouth, whereas thou hatest to be reformed? Why troublest thou thyself with vain janglings not conducible to faith? And why dost thou trouble the wandring thoughts, and imaginations of the unlearned, unstable, giddy-headed people with such unprofitable dreams, and suppositions, since thou canst never reconcile the words of Christ himself, nor the words of Paul, Peter, and John touching his secret coming to the last judgement to thine opinion, but dost utterly overthrow them to please thine own frenetical fancy? To writ much will be to little purpose, because the violent, impenetrable, inflexible spirits of such men, who are driven, tossed, and carried away with every wind of doctrine, are like wild swine, which will not be turned back being once in a precipitant headlong course of running forward, unless they be smitten down, or their legs broken. And the less will I writ now, because I expect in short progress of time to see the miraculous manifestation of Gods infinite power, and providence for the accomplishment of the last wonders of the See Jer. 16. 14, 15. and 23, 7, 8. world touching the Church to take away all these scruples, and vain janglings: But to make my promise good touching some of the chief places of Scripture, upon which the error of the Millenaries is founded, of which some are, Re. 13. 18. and 20. 3, 4, and 21. 16. and the rest I must say something: yet I will deliver no exposition, position, or supposition of mine own touching the sense, but led, and guide by comparing one text with another to what is principally couched therein, which is( time). The words of the 18. v. of the 13. ca: are these, Here is wisdom, Let him, that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. The 17. vers of the 21. ca: helpeth to the understanding of this touching the number of a man, The words are these, And he measured the wall thereo●( that is of the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, mentioned in the 10. vers, with a large description setting out the glory, and beauty thereof continued to the 22. vers) an 144. cubits according to the measure of a man, that is, of the Angel. Was there ever any man an angel but our Lord Christ? was any angel at any time a man but our Lord Christ? Is it not then perspicuous that he is the man, whose measure is here intended by 144. cubits, and by 12000 furlongs in the precedent vers the 16, and whose number is to be counted in the 13. ca: for the number of the beast? Can the number 666 be intended to be the years of a natural man, whose age is 70, or 80 years at most for the most part? It may very well be the number of Christ the man for excellency, who was then numbered by his years when John writ his book, hath been ever since and now is, and the rather because the number of the beast is to be counted. Who this beast is, it is evident by divers marks given him in the Revelation, and in divers of the Prophets, and Apostles, and is not controverted by any Millenary except Romish, and therefore nothing need to be said touching the marks, but touching the number. Can 666 be the great, and gross number of the beasts time and continuation, when as counting from his rise, which was in the year 666, after Christ( for then he took it as the cardinal letters in his title, Videlicet, Generalis Dei Vicarius in terris, in part prove, indeed a mystery) his continuation will be 1000 years when 1666 is completed? And it is evident in the 4. v. of the 20. ca: of the Re. that 1000 years are the limited extent of his time of persecution, and beheading of men for the witness of Jesus, and the word of God, which did not worship him, nor his image, whose souls notwithstanding the bodies beheaded, lived and reigned with Christ 1000 years: And the devil is likewise shut up 1000 years in the 3. vers. And the 5. vers reiterateth the 1000. years, making no distinction between the 1000 years of the devils being shut up, and of the beheading of men by the beast, and their souls reigning 1000 years with Christ, thus Videlicet, But the rest of the dead men shal not live again, until the 1000 years be finished: this is the first resurrection. Is not this the resurrection of grace, mortification, and a new life? Is not the rest of the dead mens living again at the day of judgement? What hath this last the 1000 years relation to? It hath no relation at al but to the 1000 years afo●e spoken of. Six times in that 20. ●a● of Rev. is the 1000 years reiterated, Videli●et. First in the 2. vers, Secondly in the 3. vers relating to the second, touching the binding and shutting up the D●vil, T●irdly in the 4. vers ouching the beheaded souls triumph, Four●hly in the 5. vers relating to the merely 1000. in the 4. vers, Fifthly in the 6. vers, sixthly in the 7. vers relating to the 1000. years touching Satans binding, fi●st mentioned in the 2. vers, and his being loosed in the 3. vers without any distinction of one from the other, or reference to one above the other. If I should speak of 1000. years with several circumstinces of doing, being, or suffering, and then in conclusion infor the same 10●0, relatively with that emphasis( the) without d●stinction of the former several circumstances, every scholar would conceive and say, and so by reason, art, and rule of grammar he must, and ought, that my conclusion had reference to every 1000. aforementioned, and that al were one and the same. Now touching the 21. ca: describing the holy Jerusalem, its measure, and beauty; The 10. vers saith, that it shal descend out of heaven, the 16, that the measure thereof shal be 12000. furlongs and so shal be every way square and equal for height, length, and breadth, and the 17. that the measure of the wall shal be 144 cubits by the measure of a man, that is. of the Angel, and the 22. I saw no Temple therein, for the Lord God almighty, and the Lamb are the Temple of it, and the 23. The City hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did light it, and the Lamb is the light of it, and the 24. vers saith that the people, which are saved, shal walk in the light of it. He hath a strong Imagination, who supposeth that this holy Jerusalem must be a material city since it must descend from heaven, and must bee 12000. furlongs, which after land measure is 1500. miles square, even in height, length, and breadth, and since Gods glory, and the Lamb are the light thereof, and these who shal walk in the light thereof, and the city shal have no need of the light of the sun, or moon. Can it be a material earthly city, which must stind 1000 years, when mortal men men cannot live without the sun and moon, not the earth stand without their influences? It may be a pure, beautiful, holy, undesiled Church walking in the light of the glory of God, and the Lamb, our Lord and Saviour Jesus, who was offered a sacrifice for us al. And the measure of this holy City Jerusalem( which no moderate man will deny to be intended the Church, because God, and the Lamb are the the temple thereof) may be without al doube the limi●ted & prefixed time, when this glorious light of God shal shine because it is bounded by the measure of a man the angel, which can be none other measure, but the measure of Christ, whereof the 144. cubits must be the beginning, and the 12000. furlongs the consummation and uttermost extent. Here is no presumptuous peeping into the secrets of G●● and yet much more might have been said touching his revealed 〈…〉 this 〈◇〉. FINIS.