Officium Gregorianum gets by this means to be in credit but doth it continue without change or altering No the very Romen Service was of two Fashions the new Fashion and the old the one used in one Church the other in another as is to be seen in Pamilius a Romanist his preface before Micrologus The same Pamilius reporteth out of Radalphus de Rive That about the year of our Lord 1277 Pope Nicholas the third removed out of the Churches of Rome the more ancient Books of Service and brought into use the Missals of the Fryars Minorites and commanded them to be observed there insomuch that about an hundred yeers after when the above named Radulphus happened to be at Rome he found all the Books to be new after the new stamp Neither was this chopping changing in the ancient times only but also of late Pius Quintus himself confesseth That every Bishopprick almost had a peculiar kind of Service most unlike to that which others had which moved him to abolish all other Breviaries though never so ancient and priviledged and published by Bishops in their Diocesses and to establish and ratifie that only which was of his own setting forth in the year 1568. Now when the Father of their Church who gladly would heal the sore of the Daughter of his people softly and slightly and make the best of it finding so great fault with them for their odds and jarring we hope the children have no great cause to vaunt of their uniformity But the difference that appeareth in our Translation and our often correcting of them is the thing that we are specially charged with Let us see therefore whether they themselves be without fault this way if it be to be counted a fault to correct or whether they be fit men to throw stones at us o tandem major pareas minori they that are less sound themselves ought not to object infirmities to others If we should tell them that Valla Stapulensis Erusinus and Vives found fault with their vulgar Translation and consequently wished the same to be mended or a new one to be made they would answer peradventure That we produced their Enemies for Witnesses against them albeit they were in no other sort Enemies then St. Paul to the Galatians for telling them the truth and it were to be wished that they had dared to tell it them plainer oftner But what will they say to this That Pope Leo the tenth allowed Erasmus Translation of the New Testament so much different from the vulgar by his Apostolick Letter and Bull That the same Leo exhorted Pagnine to translate the whole Bible and bare whatsoever charges was necessary for the Work surely as the Apostle reasoneth to the Hebrews that if the former Law and Testament had been sufficient there had been no need of the later So we may say That if the old Vulgar had been at all points ollowable to small purpose had labour and charges been undergone about framing a new If they say it was one Popes private Opinion and that he consulted onely himself then we are able to go further with them and to aver That more of their chief men of all sorts even their own Trent-Champions Paiva Vega and their own Inquisitors Hierominus ab Oleastro and their own Bishop Isadorus Clarius and their own Cardinal Thomas a vio Caietan do either make new Translations themselves or follow new ones of other mens making or note the Vulgar Interpreter for halting none of them fear to dissent from him nor yet to except against him And call they this an uniform Tenor of Text judgement about the Text so many of their Worthies disclaiming the now received conceit Nay we will yet come a little nearer the quick doth not their Paris Edition differ from the Lovaine and Hentenius his from them both and yet all of them allowed by authority Nay doth not Sextus Quintus confess That certain Catholicks he meaneth certain of his own side were in such a humour of translating the Scriptures into Latine that Satan taking occasion by them though they thought of no such matter did strive what he could out of such uncertain and manifold a variety of Translations so to mingle all things that nothing might seem to be left certain and firm in them c. Nay further did not the same Sextus ordain by an inviolable Decree and that with the counsel and consent of the Cardinals That the Latine Edition of the Old and New Testament which the Councel of Trent would have to be authentick is the same without controversie which he then set forth being diligently Corrected and Printed in the Printing House of the Vatican thus Sextus in his Preface before his Bible And yet Clement the eight his immediate Successor to account of publisheth another Edition of the Bible containing in it infinite differences from that of Sextus and many of them weighty and material and yet this must be authentick by all means What is it to have the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with yea and nay if this be not Again what is sweet harmony and consent if this be Therefore as Dimaratus of Corinth advised a great King before he talked of the dissentions among the Grecians to compose his own domestick broils so all the while that our adversaries do make so many and so various Editions themselves and do jarre so much about the worth and authority of them they can with no shew of Equity challenge us for changing and correcting Thus far the said Translators From which may be observed At what great uncertainty the most wise and learned on both sides have been and are about the Scripture contesting which side hath the true not knowing that either side hath it 2. At what great uncertainty they likewise are in respect of those Scriptures which they have not certainly knowing the undoubted true sense and meaning thereof this plainly appears in that they do on each side so often alter change amend and new translate their respective Bibles wherein will be found many variations if not contradictions to the former and when they have done all they can it will be far from satisfying all the learned of the same party who having opportunity will alter and new translate it to their own minds which will as much displease others who will take their turn again to alter it and in this manner may it run ad infinitum from time to time and still upon like uncertainties and that the case is no better with us our next Author more fully sets forth 3. Jer. Taylor Dr. in Divinity and a great Schollar he in his Discourse of Liberty of prophesying pag. 61 62 63. shews and by many Reasons proves that which in effect amounts to an impossibility for any man to find out a true Copy or Translation or right sense of Scripture his words are these Viz. There are so many thousand of Copies that are writ by persons of
Fides Divina The Ground of TRUE FAITH Asserted OR A useful and brief Discourse shewing the insufficiency of humane and the necessity of Divine Evidence for divine or saving Faith and Christian Religion to be built upon Being a Transcript out of several Authors extant Joh. 10.37 If I do not the works of my Father believe me not Joh. 15.24 If I had not done among them the works that none other man did they had not had sin but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father 1 Cor. 2.4 5. My speech and my preaching was not with perswasible words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God LONDON Printed for the Author 1657. A Just and necessary Vindication of all such as endeavour to be satisfied concerning the anthentickness and demonstrative authority and perfection of Copies or Translations of Scripture or any Expositions Doctrines or Conclusions drawn from them to be a ground sufficient for Divine and saving Faith scruples herein unavoidably arising from the Tongues and Pens even of the learned themselves who both in publike and private will ofâ—en tell us That this or that is not rightly translated but should be read out of the Hebrew or Greek word for word thus or thus much different from the Translation or that this or that word or sentence is not in some or most of their Greek Copies or here or there should be a Parenthesis or that the Comma is not rightly placed or the like something or other is usually amiss especially when from some Text of Scripture the unreasonable or doubtfulness of their Opinions or Doctrines are questioned In further prosecution hereof I shall not need to cite any of the learned Papists who urge many shrewd Arguments and Reasons to prove the corruption of our Scriptures and the insufficiency of any Scripture for the purposes aforementioned Nor need I insist on our learned Countreyman Mr. Hugh Broughton though a Protestant who being a great Linguist charged the Bishops with perverting the Text in the Old Testament in the English Translations in 848. places Nor on the Charge delivered to King JAMES by the Ministers of Lincoln Diocess telling him in the Abridgement of their grievances That the English Translation of the Bible was such as takes away from the Text and addes to the Text and that to the changing or obscuring of the meaning of the Holy Ghost Nor yet on the palpable differences and contradictions in Translations wherein some Texts are rendred with much suspition of Nonsense untruth or both observed by private men Nor will I at present descant Whether it was through negligence ignorance or design in the Translators or otherwise that all this was done yet that de facto it is so done may be seen and must be confest by all intelligent men not blinded with superstition like the Ephesians Acts 19.17 18. nor pindiced with worldly interest like the chief Rulers Joh. 12.42 43. But for the present among many other that might be cited I shall produce some few modern English Protestant Authors of most eminent learning whose concurrent Testimony herein together with the precedent and subsequent considerations may be more then sufficient to our purpose it being also back't with such Arguments and Reasons as are evident to our own understanding and experience THe Translators of King JAMES his Bible in their Epistle to the Reader do set forth how they wtre charged and upbraided by some of their Brethren as well as by the Papist in that they so often altered and changed the Bible by their new translating it thus viz. Many mens mouths have been open a good while and yet are not stopped vvith speeches about the translation so long in hand or rather perusals of Translations made before and ask vvhat may be the reason vvhat the necessity of the Employment hath the Church been deceived say they all this vvhile Hath her svveet bread been mingled vvith leaven her silver vvith dross her Wine vvith Water her Milk vvith Lime Lactè Gypsum malè incestur saith Jeremy We hoped that vve had been in the right vvay that vve had had the Oracles of God delivered unto us and that though all the vvorld had cause to be offended and to complain yet vve had none Hath the Nurse holden out the Breast and nothing but vvind in it Hath the bread been delivered by the Fathers of the Church and the same proved to be Lapidosus as Seneca speaketh What is to handle the Word of God deceitfully if this be not Thus certain Brethren Also the Adversaries of Judah and Hierusalem like Samballat in Nehemiah mock as vve hear both at the vvork and vvorkmen saying What do these vveak Jews c Will they make the stones vvhole again out of the heaps of dust vvhich are burnt Although they build yet if a Fox go up he shall even break dovvn their stony Wall Was their Translation good before Why do they novv mend it Was it not good Why then vvas it obtruded to the people Yea VVhy did the Catholicks meaning Popish Romanists alvvayes go in Jeopardy for refusing to go to hear it Nay if it must be translated into English Catholicks are fittest to do it They have learning and they knovv vvhen a thing is vvell they can manum de tabula VVe vvill ansvver them both briefly The former being Brethren thus c. And after their ansvvering these they ansvver the Papists and retort as many or more faults of the same kind upon them in these vvords follovving viz. Yet before vve end vve must ansvver a cavil and objection of theirs against us for altering and amending our Translations so oft vvherein they deal hardly and strangely vvith us for to vvhom ever vvas it imputed for a fault by such as vvere vvise to go over that vvhich he had done and to amend it vvhere he savv cause Saint Augustine vvas not afraid to exhort St. Hierome to a Palmodia or Recantation The same St. Augustine vvas not ashamed to retractate vve might say revoke many things that had passed him and doth even glory that he seeth his infirmities If vve vvill be sons of the Truth vve must consider vvhat it speaketh and trample upon our ovvn credit yea and upon other mens too if either be any vvay an hinderance to it This to the cause Then to the persons vve say That of all men they ought to be most silent in this case for what variety have they what alterations have they made not only of their Service-Books Portesses and Breviaries but also of their Latine Translation The Service-Book supposed to be made by St. Ambrose Officium Ambrosianum was a great while in special use and request but Pope Hadrian called a Councel with the aid of Charls the Emperor abolished it yea burnt it and commanded the Service-Book of St. Gregory universally to be used Well
several interests and perswasions such different understandings and tempers such distinct abilities and weaknesses that it is no wonder there is so great variety of readings both in the Old and New Testament In the old Testament the Jews pretend that the Christians have corrupted many places on purpose to make symphony between both the Testaments On the other side the Christians have had so much reason to suspect the Jews That when Aquilla had translated the Bible in their Schools and had been taught by them they rejected the Edition many of them and some of them called it Heresie to follow it And Justin Martyr justified to Tryphon That the Jews had defalk'd many sayings from the Books of the Old Prophets and amongst the rest he instances that of the Psalm Dicite in Nationibus quia Dominus Regnavit à ligno Englished Tell it or say i.e. amongst the Nations the Lord hath raigned for or by the wood or tree The last words they have cut off and prevailed so far in it that to this day none of our Bibles have it but if they ought not to have it then Justin Martyr's Bible had more in it then it should have for there it was so that a fault there was eitheir under or over But however there are infinite readings of the New Testament for in that I will instance some whole verses in one that are not in another and there was in some Copies of Saint Marks Gospel in the last chapter a whole verse a chapter it was anciently called that is not found in our Bibles as St. Hierom ad Hedibiam Q. 3. notes the words he repeats Lib. 2. Contra Polygamos Et illi satis faciebant dicentes saeculum istu iniquitatis incredulitatis substantia est quae non sivit per immundos spiritus veram Dei apprehendi vertutem idcirto jam nunc revela justitiam tuam Englished And they did satisfie saying that age is the substance of iniquity and incredulity which by reason of unclean spirits doth not suffer the virtue power or efficacie of God to be apprehended therefore now reveal thy righteousness These words are thought by some to savour of Manichaism and for ought I can find were therefore rejected out of many Greek Copies and at last out of the Latine c. The Parable of the woman taken in Adultery which is now in Joh. 8. Eusebius sayes It was not in any Gospel but the Gospel secundum Hebraeos and St. Hierome makes it doubtful and so doth St. Chrysostome and Euthimius the first not vouchsafing to explicate it in Homolies upon St. John the other affirming it not to be found in the exacter Copies c. But the instances in this kinde are too many as appears in the variety of readings in several Copies proceeding from the negligence or ignorance of the Translators or the malicious * Graci corruperunt novum Testamentum ut Testantur Tertul. l. 5. ado Marcion Euseb L. 5. Hist C. ult Irenae l. 1. c. 29. Allu Haeres Bafil L. 2. Contr. Eunomium endeavour of Hereticks or the inserting Marginal Notes into the Text or the neerness of several words And in pag. 82. he saith That since there are in Scripture many mysteries and matters of question upon which there is a vail since there are so many Copies with infinite variety of readings since a various interpunction a Parenthesis a Letter an Accent may much alter the sense since some places have divers litteral senses many have spiritual mystical and allegorical meanings since there are so many trops metononies ironies hyperbolies properties and improperties of Languages whose understanding depends upon such circumstances that it is almost impossible to know its proper interpretation now that the proper knowledge of such circumstances and particular stories is irrecoverably lost since there are some mysteries which at the best advantage of expression are not easily to be apprehended and whose explication by reason of our imperfections must needs be dark sometimes weak sometimes untelligable And lastly Since those ordinary means of expounding Scripture as searching the Originals conference of places purity of reason analogie of faith are all dubious uncertain and very fallible he that is wisest and by consequence the likeliest to expound truest in all probability of reason will be very far from confidence because every one of these and many more are like so many degrees of improbabilities and incertainty all depressing our certtainty of finding out the truth in such mysteries and amidst so many difficulties and therefore a wise man that considers this would not willingly be prescribed to by others and therefore if he be also a just man he will not impose it upon others for it is best every man should be left to that Liberty from which no man can justly take him unless he could secure him from Error And in pag. 82. he tells us That Osiander in his confutation of a Book which Melanchthon wrote against him observes That there are twenty several Opinions concerning Justification all drawn from Scriptures by the men onely of the Augustan Confession there are sixteen several Opinions conncerning Original Sin and as many definitions of the Sacraments as there are Sects of men that disagree about them And then he proposeth a question with i'ts answer in these words viz. And now what help is there for us in the midst of these uncertainties if we follow any one Translation or any one mans Commentary what Rule have we to choose the right by Or is there any one man that hath translated perfectly or expounded infallibly No Translation challenges such a prerogative as to be authentick but the vulgar Latine and yet see with what success for when it was declared authentick by the Councel of Trent Sextus put forth a Copy much amended of what it was and tyed all men to follow that but that did not satisfie for Pope Clement reviews and corrects it in many places and still the Decree remains in a changed subject And secondly that Translation will be very unapt to satisfie in which one of their own Issidore Clarius a Monk of Brestia found and amended 8000. faults besides innumerable others which he sayes he pretermitted And then thirdly To shew how little themselves were satisfyed with it divers learned men among them did new translate the Bible and thought they did God and the Church good service in it So that if you take this for your president you are sure to be mistaken infinittly if you take any other the Authors themselves do not promise you any security If you resolve to follow any one as far only as you see cause then you only do wrong or right by chance for you have certainty just proportionable to your own skill to your own infallibility If you resolve to folllow any one whithersoever he leads we shall oftentimes come thither where we shall see our selves to become ridiculous Thus far that learned and ingenuous Doctor who also shews
the Apostle reckoneth but as Milk for Babes who are unskilful in the word of righteousness Heb. 5.12 13 14 6.1 2. And would it not then be much wisdom in them so far to observe the prophilbition of Christ to his Apostless Luke 24.49 Act. 1.4.8 as to forbear teaching these points until they were undoubtedly assured of the truth of them themselves and endued with power from on high evidently to demonstrate the verity of them to other men wherby to convince them And in the mean time to teach men altogether such practical points as are evident to every rational mans understanding and conscience wherein they would find work enough much more profitable as to the forsaking of all kind of wicked sinful dishonest and deceitful dealings in their lives and conversations together with all kind of tyranny cruelty oppression injustice pride high and earthly-mindedness covetousness which is Idolatry and the root of all evil drunkenness and all other abuses of the good creatures of God in any kind of excess whatsoever suffering in the mean time many of their poor Brethren to pine away and starve for want of necessaries and on the contrary excite them to the diligent and constant practise of all honest virtuous pious just charitable good and conscionable living to the exercising mercy love and peace towards all men and to a despising of the riches honors and glories of this world shewing them the vanity and deceitfulness of them and the many thousand great evils and mischiefs which they certainly bring upon the lovers and possessors of them Hereby undoubtedly many great benefits would accrue unto themselves alwayes provided that indeed and in truth they reform their own affections and conversations accordingly which is absolutely necessary in the case For first Hereby they would free themselves from all the just contempts gainsayings and contradictions both of the Quakers all other men Secondly instead of mens envying hating and persecuting one another being now the usual product of their teachings they would breed amity peace and concord amongst men and in all likelyhood make their Congregations generally to consist of pious honest just and good men full of all courteous and civil deportment toward all both at home and abroad which would be no small Ornament Honor Benefit both to the place wherein they live and to the Commonwealth whereof they are Members And now for further illustration of the point in hand let us consider That when the Word of the Lord came to the Prophets of old and vvhen they had delivered it as Gods Word to them to vvhom it vvas sent and vvhen it had dispatched the business for vvhich it came then and not till then both it and its event was recorded and so became Scripture now though it was the Word of the Lord both when it came and vvhen it vvas delivered to them to vvhom it vvas sent yet it may be questioned whether it continued so in the writing of it I vvill instance only in the Prophet Jonah to whom the Word of the Lord came commanding him to arise and go to Nineveh and to cry and preach against it these words viz. Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be overthrown He went and did so whereupon they repented all which was aftervvard vvritten and so became Scripture But if the same Prophet in like manner had preached the same words to the same City any time after they had repented then it had been false and no Word of God at all unto them hovv then can it reasonably be accounted the Word of God either to that City or any other only by its being written and so becoming Scripture but to be meerly as a declaration what was the Word of God which he once sent by his Prophet to Nineveh upon which they repented and so escaped the Judgement threatned Nay suppose the same City had soon after relapsed into the the same sins yet the same Prophet could not without sin have preached the same words as Gods VVord unto them nor yet have pronounced the same Judgment nor any other as from the Lord against them vvithout some new Commission which might have been to pronounce some other Judgement or to have some shorter time allotted them for Repentance Many other Scriptures come under the like consideration Fourthly Because the Famine thratned by the Prophet Amos 8.11 12. that the Lord would send that men should wander from sea to sea from the North even to the East and run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and should not find it cannot be understood of Scriptures or Bibles nay it were well if we had not cause to fear from the Apostles Prophecy 2 Tim. 4.3 4. and from experience That that or the like Famine hath befalne Christiendom it self even where and when Bibles with its matter and substance Professors and Teachers have been most plentiful See and consider if any other then Christian Professors and Teachers can be meant by that prophesie of Saint Paul Fifthly and lastly Because whereas it is said 1 Sam. 3.1 That the Word of the Lord was precious in those dayes this is not meant that Scripture or Bibles was then searce for the text renders the reason thereof to be because there was no open vision So where it is often mentioned in Scripture of Saul David and many others making inquiry of the Lord and of the Word of the Lord in matters of difficulty this is not meant that they had recourse to the Bible or Scripture for if that had been the meaning then Saul needed not in his distress to have sought to the Witch at Ender to help him to the speech with Samuel that so he might of him enquire the Word of the Lord. Nor if after the seeking to God by prayer the propencity or bent of mens spirits were the answer or Word of the Lord then Balaam by taking that course to know the mind of God had not missed of the advancement proposed to him by the King nor of being King himself if that had been the question and the desire and motion of his heart after his seeking God by prayer or otherwise had been the answer to that question and to be taken as the voice word and answer of the Lord. And indeed the offer of such great preferment and honor in this world by Balaack was a great temptation to Balaam but the offer of Kingdoms of this world and the glory of them was a temptation of the devils own invention sufficient enough in his judgment to have entangled and by consequence to have overthrown Christ himself and so to have frustrated all his glorious deelared purposes designes of freeing mankind from all kind of bondage and slavery whatsoever and instead thereof to have made him become subservient to him to keep men under all the slaveries wherein they were involved yea and to become a chief supporter of all subordinate corrupt interests of worldly and wicked men whereby
then also will be fulfilled that promise to the righteous and meek to inherit the earth for ever Psa 37.9 11 18 29. although in the mean time in this life they lie under all oppression and tyranny of wicked men at whom the Lord laugheth for he seeth that his day is comming vers 13. even the same Lords day wherein Saint John was in the Spirit heard a great voice behind him like a trumpet and saw Christ being come in glory talking with him Rev. 1.7.10 to 20. and after seeing in vision the great transactions and mutations which Christ at his coming will really make upon the earth as that all the tribes of Israel were * The marking their houses with the blood of the passeover whereby to exempt them from hurt by the plagues judgments then to be poured out on their enemies the Egyptians was a lively type Exod. 12.12 which judgments may be counted but as flea-bitings in comparison of those that shall be poured out upon the world at their great and final deliverance by Christ himself sealed before liberty was given to hurt the earth chap. 7.3 To preserve them from being hurt by any of the great plagues then ready to be poured out upon their enemies the Antichristian world The great overthrow of the beast false prophet and the Kings of the earth with all their great and formidable Armies the fall of Babylon and destruction of the Whore The Kingdomes of this world to become the Kingdomes of Christ The new Jerusalem to come down from God out of heaven yea all things made new as new heavens and new earth which shall be so established that it cannot be moved Psal 93.1.96.10 not being created in vain but to be inhabited and remain world without end when Israel the very seed of Jacob shall be gathered together out of all Nations and be saved with an everlasting salvation Esa 11.12 Esa 45.17 18 19. and 60.20 yea the Gentiles shall bring their sons in their arms and their daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders Esa 49.22 Then the earth shall yield her increase and God even their own God shall * The Gentiles have great cause to long and pray for this mercy and blessing upon the Jews from the Lord that his way may be known upon earth and his saving health among all nations v. 1 2. for then will the law go out of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Esa 2.3 and then peace shall be established to the end of the earth Ps 46.9 not onely amongst men but among the beasts of the field also Esa 2.4 Esa 11.6 according to the Angels proclamation at the birth of Christ Luke 2.14 bless them and all the ends of the earth shall fear him Psal 67.6 7. Then shall a handful of corn be sown upon the top of the mountains the fruit whereof shall shake like Libanon and they of the city shal flourish like grass of the earth Psa 72.16 for then the Lord will make their wilderness like Eden and their desart like the garden of the Lord joy and gladnesshal befound therein thanksgiving and the voice of melody Esay the 51.3 Then shall they eat the riches of the Gentiles and in their glory shall they boast themselves for their shame they shall have double and for their confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion therefore in their own land they shall possess double everlasting joy shall be unto them Esa 61.6 7. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their off-spring among the people All that see them shall acknowledge that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed vers 9 and hence it will be that ten men out of all languages of the nations shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying We will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Zach. 8.23 And then also the Lord will be a great King above all gods in whose hands will be the deep places of the earth and the strength of the hills will be his also Ps 45.3 4. Then the Lord with righteousness will judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth Isa 11.4 The throne of iniquity shall then have no fellowship with him which frameth mischief by a law Ps 94.20 for all the horns of the wicked shall be then cut off and the horns of the righteous exalted Psal 75 10. yea the Lord will then utterly destroy and cast out all wicked and unrighteous oppressours and tyrants from off the face of the earth even in the sight of the righteous to their everlasting joy Ps 37 32. to 37. Prov. 10.30 Rev. 11.17 18. Matth. 13.41 Ps 21.8 9 10. whereupon the righteous will then say among themselves Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made upon the earth Ps 46.8 Then shall the Jews and the ten tribes be united in one Kingdome and never more be divided be brought again into their own land and dwell therein both they and their children and their childrens children for ever Ezek 37 although immediately before this their deliverance they shall be in such great affliction and dejection of spirit that they shall in their own sense account themselves a lost people cast off and quite forsaken of the Lord and without any hope of deliverance and this is most elegantly set forth under the similitude of dry bones and even as men quite dead and buried Ezek. 37. but even then out of this great tribulation of theirs which will be so great as there was never any the like upon any people since there was a nation upon the earth no nor ever shall be shall they be delivered and saved by Christ with an everlasting salvation Jer. 30.4 5 6 7. Dan. 12.1 Matth. 24.21 22. Luke 18.1 7 8. And therefore it is as I conceive that thoroughout the Scripture are scattered such eminent and emphatical expressions promises concerning this people to support them and prevent their fainting in this day of Jacobs trouble as then bidding them to look up and lift up their heads with comfort for then their redemption restoration the setting up the Kingdome of God will be nigh at hand Luke 21.26 27 28 30. And although many generations and nations shall perish and be forgotten from off the earth before that day come yet their generation or nation shall not pass away but be preserved to see this great deliverance and saving the whole house of Israel according to the promises and oath of God to Abraham Luke 1.68 to 76. Rom. 11.24 25 26 compared with Esa 59.20 c. Luke 21.32 33. Matth. 24.22 Esa 65.8 9. Luke 18.1 8. And in Ezek. 36. the Lord expresseth himself concerning this people thus In my jealousie in the fire of my jealousie and in my fury because ye have born the shame of the Heathen He would therefore take them from among the Heathen and gather them