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"fellow, gave occasion to Dionysius, Eusebius, and many others, "in the heat of contention with the Millennarians, to doubt of 'the authority of the Apocalypse." What I have to add is briefly this; that of the authors quoted by Mr. Mede I have made diligent search into two; (viz. Irenæus and Tertullian, happening to have them in my study,) and one other, Epiphanius, who is not named by him. These do all particularly enumerate the errors of Cerinthus, but not one word is there in any of them concerning his being a Millennarian. I refer the Reader to the places where he may see the whole: viz. Irenæus, Lib. i, cap. 25, Lib. iii, cap. 3. Tertullian, De prescrip. adv. Hæreticos, cap. 48. Epiphanius, Lib. i, cont. Hæres, Tom. 2, Hæres, 28. Let him that is not obstinately blind lay all together, and then judge, how it can be any way probable, that Cerinthus held the millennary opinion, when so many faithful writers, who came after him, should not have one word about it, expressly or indirect.

3. Now because Jerome and Augustin are thought to be against us, let us notice what admissions they make. The words of Jerome are as follow : After the captivity, which was first un"der Vespasian and Titus, and afterwards under Adrian, the ruin

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of Jerusalem are to continue unto the end of the world; albeit "the Jews fancy to themselves that they are to have Jerusalem "again, golden and gemmed, with sacrifices and offerings, and "marriages of saints; and the kingdom of their Lord and "Saviour on earth. Which things, though we follow not, yet we cannot condemn; because many ecclesiastical men and martyrs have said the same things. Let every one abound in his own sense, and let all be reserved unto the judgment of the Lord." Thus you hear Jerome ingenuously confessing, that he cannot condemn the fathers for being of the millennary opinion; even whilst he brings them in speaking more grossly, than in truth they themselves did speak. For, touching sacrifices and offerings, they said not as he reports, but the contrary; as appears by the words of Justin Martyr, with whom held most of the orthodox of that age. "At whose second coming, (saith he, speaking of Christ,) think not that Isaiah, or others of the prophets, do speak of bloody sacrifices, or other offerings to "be offered upon an altar; but of true and spiritual praises and "thanksgivings." (Dialog. cum Tryphon.)

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The words of Augustin (having quoted the first three verses of Rev. xx,) are these: 'They who have supposed from these "words, that there shall be a first corporal resurrection; have "been moved among other things, chiefly by the number of the "thousand years; as if there ought to be among the saints a sabbatism, as it were, in a holy vacation, after their six thousand "years of trouble. Which opinion, however, would be tolerable, "if it should be believed, that spiritual delights should redound "to the saints in that sabbath, by the presence of the Lord; for we also sometime have been of that opinion." "d Mark well, before we go any further, how much he hath granted and assented to, as sometime his own opinion. Surely, therefore, if he were now alive, he would altogether close with it; seeing that no godly man ever states it otherwise, than as a sinless condition, crowned with perfection. Now let us go on with Augustin, But since they say, that those that then rise again, "shall give themselves to most immoderate carnal banquetings, by no means can these things be believed but of those that "are carnal." Thus he rejects only the carnality, supposed by him to be annexed to the opinion. But upon what ground doth he suppose that? Surely upon mere hearsay, as he but now confessed, "they say" so. Who said so? Eusebius Cæsariensis; according as Ludovicus Vives gives the account, whence Augustin had it; for indeed there is no other original of this twang and dream in any author, but the said Eusebius. And whence did Eusebius derive it ? He saith, by tradition, in a controversy carried about in the name of Gaius. e So, here is hearsay upon hearsay. O miserable proof, and feeble foundation, in a point of such weight against the Revelation, and many other scriptures in the Old and New Testament! As to Eusebius, who denied the divinity of Christ, and the authority of the Revelation, he is

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d De. civ. Dei, Lib. xx, c. 7. This quotation, though substantially the same with the translation of Augustin's works by Ludovicus Vives, differs nevertheless so considerably in some particulars as to render doubtful, if they can both have referred to the same copy. The principal variation, and which greatly affects the extent of Augustin's admission, is in the word 'sometime,' which is rendered by L. V. ' once.' "We were once of the same opinion," implies a subsequent change; whereas "We have been sometime of that opinion," looks more like his continuing to hold that view. The Paris edition of Augustin's Works has the passage thus-"Nam etiam nos hoc opinati fuimus aliquando." ED.

e Lib. iii, c. 26, 27, juxt. Græc.

not a proper witness. Nor is Gaius to be credited; who (if ever there were such a fellow) was probably a most dangerous heretic, denying the word of God.

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I shall conclude this evidence by a quotation from the Acts of the Council of Nice, called by Constantine the Great, so late as the year 325. This council, besides their definition of faith and canons ecclesiastical, did set forth certain Acaтνπwσels or Forms of Ecclesiastical Doctrines; according to which all teachers in the church were to frame their discourse and direct their opinion. And if these forms were not then first composed, they were at least so moderated, that both parties might accept them, being (as you may see) delivered in the language of Scripture. Some of these forms are recorded by Gelasius Cyzicenus; f among which is this, for the doctrine of the state of the resurrection, beginning "Muкротερоç & коσμоç," &c. "The world was made “ Μικροτερος κόσμος,” "more minute, or viler, because of foreknowledge. For God saw that man would sin: therefore we expect new hea"vens and a new earth, according to the Holy Scriptures, when "shall shine forth the appearance and kingdom of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. And then as Daniel saith chap. vii, 18,) the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom and there shall be a pure earth, holy, a land of the living, not of the dead, which David foreseeing, by the eye of faith, cries out, Psalm xxvii, 13, I believe to see the goodness "of the Lord in the land of the living; a land of the meek and humble for Christ saith, (Matt. v, 5,) blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. And the Prophet saith, "(Is. xxvi, 6,) the feet of the meek and humble shall tread upon it." On this passage Mr. Mede says: This you see was the opinion of the whole orthodox christian church, in the age immediately following the death of Saint John, (when yet Polycarp, and many disciples of the apostles were living,) as Justin "Martyr expressly affirms : a testimony absolute without all "comparison to persuade such as rely upon authority and "antiquity. And therefore it is to be admired (saith Mr. Mede) that an opinion, once so generally received in the church, should ever have become cried down and buried. But

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f In his Historia Actorum Concilii Nicoeni.

"those times which extinguished this, brought in also other "alterations; and perhaps something in lieu of that, and relating "to it, (which perhaps few observe, that have knowledge enough "of the rest,) namely prayers for the dead, which were then conIceived after this manner; 'that they may have their part in "the first resurrection.'"

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To this let me add my wonder, that no longer since than the reign of King Edward VI, this doctrine called millennary should, in substance, be put into the general catechism by the great martyr reformers, to be used throughout the nation; (at least by all Latin scholars ;) and yet that it should now be so decried by this present generation, which does nevertheless so esteem that time of reformation under Edward VI. The catechism, as to our point, runs thus: "Q. How is that petition, thy kingdom come, to be "understood? A. We ask that his kingdom may come, because as yet we see not all things subject to Christ: we see not yet the stone cut out of the mountain without human help, which "breaketh into pieces, and reduceth into nothing the image "described by Daniel; or how that the only rock, which is Christ, doth possess and obtain the empire of the whole world, given him of the Father. As yet Antichrist is not slain; "whence it is that we desire and pray, that at length it may

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come to pass, and be fulfilled; and that Christ alone may reign with his saints, according to the divine promises; and "that he may live and have dominion in the world according " to the decrees of the holy Gospel, and not according to the "traditions, and laws of men, and the wills of the tyrants of the "world. God grant (saith the reply of the questionist) that his kingdom may come most speedily.”

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In the same catechism the following also occurs : Q. The end of the world the sacred Scripture calls the consummation and perfection of the mystery of Christ, and the renovation of all things so the Apostle Peter speaks Epl. 2, chap. iii. We expect new heavens, and a new earth according to God's pro"mise, wherein dwelleth righteousness.' And it seems agreeable "to reason, that the corruption, mutability, and sin, to which the whole world is subject, should at last cease. Now by what means, or ways of circumstances, those things shall be "brought to pass, I desire to know of thee? Ans. I will

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declare as well as I can; the same Apostle attesting: the heavens, in the manner of a stormy tempest, shall pass away; " and the elements estuating, shall be dissolved; and the earth, "and the works therein shall be burnt. As if the Apostle I should say, the world (like as we see in gold) shall be wholly "purged with fire, and shall be brought to its utmost perfection; which the little world man imitating, shall likewise be freed "from corruption, and mutation. And so for man's sake, (for whose use the great world was at first created,) being at length " renovated, or made new, it shall put on a face that shall be "far more pleasant and beautiful." All this is understood of a state and time on earth before the ultimate judgment. For the next question following is concerning that. Q. Deinde autem "quid superest ?-But after that what remains? A. Ultimum "et generale judicium, &c.-The ultimate and general judg'ment, &c."

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