onely to the Gospel of Jesus Christ but even to their own Law Which Deutorologies of theirs our Saviour condemneth Mat. 15.3.6 When he saith That they transgressed the Commandment of God and made it of none effect by their own Tradition 4 Both these waies do the Jews shew their enmitie to Christ and Christian Religion and are thereby retained and encouraged in their Errors Jesus Christ is the true Messiah 1. MAugre all Christ is the true Messiah 2. Whatsoever was prophesied of the Messiah is performed in Christ 1. Christ came of the Stock of David and of the Root of Jesse so should the Messias 2. Christ was born of a Virgin so should the Messiah Christs Star appeared and the Princes did worship him Christ was born in Bethlehem He fled out of Judea into Egypt The Children were slain for his sake He was called out of Egypt and was called a Nazareth All which things were prophesied of the Messiah 3. He had John Baptist his forerunner and cryer and that was foretold of the Messiah 4. He vanquished the Devils and had the Angels to minister unto him which was foretold of the Messiah 5. He called his Disciples and his Conversation was in Galilee foretold of the Messiah 6. His Miracles were altogether Divine and from the power of God prophesied of the Messiah 7. His Preaching and Conversation were in humility and gentleness foretold of the Messiah 8. He was reproached reviled whipped and Crucified foretold of the Messiah 9. He Rose and Triumphed forespoken of the Messiah 10. He called the Gentiles unto the unity of Faith fore prophesied of the Messiah 2. 1. The Messiah must be true God and true Man so was Christ 2. The true time when the Messiah should be born was when Judea should be subject unto the Romans Christ was born in that time 3. The Messiah should be born of a Virgin so was Christ as S. Matthew doth witness 4. The Place where the Messiah should be born was Bethlem the same is where Christ was born according to the Evangelists 5. Things forespoken by Esay and foretold by David concerning the Mâ—ssiah were fulfilled in Christ as the Preaching of the Apostles the banding of Pilate and of Herod the Kingdome of Christ after the death of the Cross his sitting at the right hand of God and the destruction of the Jewes for killing the Anointed 6. Also the Prophesies concerning the Miracles of the Messiah concerning the slaughtering of good Men concerning the Calling of the Gentiles are accomplished in Christ 7. Also are the Prophesies of the death of the Messiah of his Resurrection and of his Ascention into Heaven 8. All these things Prophesied of the Messiah being accomplished in Christ it follows against the Jewes that he is to be believed and worshipped as the onely Son of God and Saviour of the world The Jewes shall be converted to Christ before the End of the World 1. THe Scripture hath determined that this Conversion of the Jewes shall be that appears Rom. 11.26 And so all Israel shall be saved 2. But of the day and year of this Conversion the said Scripture hath said nothing 3. All that we dare say of it is by way of probability 4. And it may be comprised in the following Propositions 1. The Conversion of the Jewes is not as yet past for though some be here and there converted yet the promise being more general is not yet fulfilled 2. It will not be long before the second coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ but toward the latter end of the world 3. Nor when that day shall be that is to say when God will convert this Nation or come in the Clouds of Heaven to Judge the Earth no man can tell It is not for us to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power Acts 1.6 4. If we say so little of so great a Point our Apologie is that of what we know not we speak not 5. If any man out of a proud spirit for ostentation shall take upon him to determine the time we professe that we believe him not 6. We dispute not whether they shall have a Policy and shall recover the holy Land and dwell there for it is likely they shall never recover it because we find no such promise We must have pity and compassion of the blindness of the Jews and pray God earnestly that they may be enlightned with the saving knowledge of God his Christ and holy Gospel 1. FOr if their Case be to be pitied and lamented who through bodily blindnesse run into innumerable mischiefs and fall at last into a deep gulph without hope of recovery how much more should we pity and bewail their miserable condition who through spiritual blindness plunge themselves for the present into far greater evils and at last fall irrecoverably into the Pit of everlasting destruction 2. Neither let their fury and faultinesse in opposing Christ in his truth and members lessen our pity but rather encrease it 3. For what can they doe otherwise so long as they are under this heavy Judgement of Spiritual blindnesse who is angry with a blind man because he goeth out of his way or stumbleth at every block or falleth into every pit and ditch yea who doth not pity him in all or any of these miseries and laboureth not that he may either prevent or be delivered out of them 4. And how much more then should we stand thus affected towards those who lie under the punishments of spiritual blindnesse and phrensie which without all comparison are greater than the other and much more desperate and durable What things from Christians do alienate and detain the Jewes from Christianity 1. IT is on one side the Idolatry of the Papists they see in Babylon some Sacrifice to Idols some prostrate themselves before Creatures and other such Idolatries 2. And on the other side the Libertinage of the Protestants and their profane Life and bad Conversation 3. For when the Jews do see that the Papists believes not well and that the Protestants live not wel it is a Rock of offence to them that they can approve neither the one nor the other Let us help and set forward the Conversion of the Jews and how 1. LEt us to that end endeavour by our pure and sincere service of God by our Zeal by our Godly Life by our just Dealing and by our good Conversation to give light unto the Jews to provoke them to Emulation and to win them to Christ 2. That there may be one Fold and one Shepherd as our Saviour speaks John 10.12 3. Let us so behave our selves towards the Jews as S. Peter taught once the Jews to behave themselves towards us 1 Pet. 2.12 Have your Conversation honest among the Gentiles that they by your good works which they shall see may glorifie God in the day of their Visitation 4. Example is very powerful there is nothing more available to the winning of one that believeth not than the good conversation and life of him that doth believe S. Peter teacheth that 1 Epist 3.1 Of the Falsehood of the Religion of Turks and Mahumetans in particular 1. THe Mahumetans have learned of the Christians to serve and honour onely one God But they soil with many fables the Doctrine of the Nature of God and of the Providence which they acknowledge which appears by their Alcoran 2. The Mahumetans seek the means of their Reconciliation in some outward and foolish Ceremonies in Washings and Purifications and such other like things whose conscience being awaked they are forced to acknowledge as we have said also of the Jews that by such things the Remorse of the Conscience and the Sting of Sin cannot be plucked out from the sinful Man 3. Among the Turks 1. Pluralitie of Women 2. Private Vengeance 3. The Murther of Brethren by their Emperour are things in recommendation and praised 4. That which they hold concerning the Life to come relishes nothing but the Fable 5. They make their happiness to consist in the satisfying of their Carnal lusts FINIS
as much as the Apostles had taken Pains To Teach That All Sacrifices had Ended in Christ They did Delight to call their Sacrifices Immolations Oblations Sacrifices They call The Lords Table His Altar The Commemoration of his Death in the Sacrament The Sacrifice of the Altar A Holy Host They call the Bishops and Ministers Priests The Deacons Levites c. Manners of Speech among Them well understood Which in those Ages were not Hurtful But in the Following More Ignorant And farther off from the Light have notwithstanding been the Cause of great Abuses Because they are Passed from the Figure to the Thing And from an Improperty of Words in an Error of Doctrine 2. The Gentiles Also had a Multitude of Gods To them All They Had Builded Temples Founded Altars and Sacrifices Suddenly and at a clap To Restrain Them To the Service of one God which is all Spirit And his Service all Spiritual They who were Carnal Besotted after Pomps and Ceremonies And after the Wood And Stones Was found by Humane Prudence Both Scandalous and Impudent In Regard That these Gentiles were to be Edified And not Destroyed Fed said They with milk Before They were Fed with Solid Meat For Thus this Place of Scripture was Abused Whereas Then the First Antiquity had bluntly contested That to have Many Gods was to have None That to Serve Any Creature was to forsake the Creator It was found sweet by Succession of Times To Transform Their Gods into Saints Their Goddesses into She Saints To put our Apostles and our Martyrs in Their Place To Dedicate unto Them Their Temples And Their Altars To Give them some Priests And some High Priests To Appoint To Them Holy Dayes And Honours And Services 3. Now As Humane Wit is Blind in the Things of God It Happened That under the Shadow To Draw to Christ The Jewes and the Gentiles Those Good Folks by a Laps of some Ages did Introduce mildly in the Church Both The Judaisme And the Paganisme We understand Their Ceremonies And their Outward Pomps Their Superstitions And Vanities And which is worse Many of their Presumptions And Anticipated opinions in the Doctrine it self The Religion And Church of Rome Is not Now What it was in the Beginning 1. TO Judge aright of the Roman Church we say that there is great difference between that which is now And that which was in the time of the Apostles And some Ages after their Death 2. That which was in the Time of the Apostles was Pure and Orthodox So that her Faith was spoken of throughout the whole world Rom. 1.8 3. After the Death of the Apostles during some Ages she hath been also a true Church But not the onely True Church Not the Catholick or Universal Church But a Part of the same As was the Church of Greece of Syria of Egypt And of other Places She hath been a True Church but not so Pure as in the Apostles time Errors betimes having begun to creep in her 4. But the Roman Church which is now is an Impure and Heretical Church And more Heretical than any one that ever was before Since the Plague of Antichristianisme have sticked unto her it is no more the Chaste Spouse of Christ but an Harlot And an Adulteresse It is no more a sound and vigorous body but a body full of ulcers and soars In a word she is no more Pure and Orthodox as she was before but Impure and Heterodox 5. Which we prove by two strong and Irrefragable Arguments The 1. is because the greater part of her Faith and belief is contary to holy Scriptures And consequently is meer Heresie The 2. is because a great part of the Ancient Heresies which have been condemned by the Ancient and Orthodox Church are received in her and approved by her 6. I have said 1. That the now Church of Rome is Impure Heretical because the greater part of her Faith and belief is contrary to holy Scriptures 1. Scriptures forbids the use of Images in matter of Religion and Divine Worship The Church of Rome receives and maintains them 2. The Scripture teacheth us that the bloud of Christ doth cleanse us from all sin The Church of Rome doth establish another Purgatory 3. The Scripture teacheth us that of our selves we are not able to think any good Thing but but that all our sufficiencie is from God The Church of Rome will that by the strength of our Free-will we may do good works And make the said strength to cooperate with the Grace of God 4. The Scripture will that we pray and speak in the Church in a known Tongue All the Service of the Church of Rome is in an unknown Language 5. The Scripture doth ordain that in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper all drink of the Cup The Church of Rome hath forbid it to the Laity 6. The Scripture presents us Jesus Christ as the only Mediator between God and Men The Church of Rome doth forge a great number of Mediatours who are to help us with their Merits and with their Suffrages 7. The Scripture doth warn us concerning Christ Acts 3.21 That the Heaven must receive him until the time of restitution of all things The Church of Rome will in some sort make him to come down every day from Heaven in a million of Places And moreover exposes him under the accidents of bread to divers ignominies 8. In a word there is no Proposition mentioned against us in the Church of Rome whereof we may not be able to find the Antithesis in the Word of God In that regard there are many to be found in the said Church of Rome which are asham'd of the abovesaid Errors And except the brainlesse Spirits and resolved to maintain even the grosest Abuses few Persons will there be found who entirely keep their Religion And in some Points thereof do not find something wanting 7. I have said 2. that the now Church of Rome is Impure and Heretical because a great part of the Ancient Heresies which have been condemned by the Ancient and Orthodox Church are received in her and approved by her Those Heresies meet in her and do compound a part of Popery As all the Waters of Rivers and Springs do meet in the Sea The Devil hath made them to rise up again upon the stage in the Roman Church with some small disguising Her so insolent contempt and debasing of Holy Scriptures she hath common with all kinds of Hereticks to whom such a thing is usual She doth borrow from the Pharisees the nonwritton Traditions And the Merit of Works She borroweth from the Basilidians and the Carpoeratians the worshipping of Images She hath from the Marcosians of whom Epiphanius doth speak And from the Eutichians against whom Theodoret and Vigilius doe so excellently dispute the Error of Transubstantiation She hath from the Messalians the Euchetes her vain repetitions of Prayers by number She hath from the Manichees the Montanists the Marcionites the
in Jesus Christ there are not two Persons 3. So much could say the Eutichians For there are no places which formally saies That the two Natures of Christ be not confused and that the Human Nature hath not swallowed up by the Divine Nature 4. Likewise the Jews who reject Jesus Christ with a prodigious obstinacie could say That they were grounded upon the Word of God because that in Moses and in all the Prophets there is not any place which saith formally That Jesus the Son of Mary born in Bethlehem under the Empire of Caesar Augustus is the Messias 5. In a word the Religion of the Mahometans could be said to be grounded upon the Word of God For there is no Text in the Bible which saith that Mahomet is a false Prophet and that his Religion is impious and abominable and that the Paradise which God promiseth to his children is not a carnal Paradise § The necessarie consequences that are drawn out of the Scriptures are as valuable to prove the falshood of a Belief as the formal Texts are as also to prove the Truth of a Belief ANd so whensoever we are to confirm the Truth and to confute Errors and Untruths it is lawful to make use of two kind of Arguments drawn out of the Canonical Books of Scripture Namely 1. of those who expressely and as in as many words are drawn out of the Holy Scriptures Secondly of those which are drawn out of them by good and lawfull Consequence 1. Certainly those that would reject Consequences drawn out of the Reason of Holy Scriptures should condemn Jesus Christ who made use of Consequences to prove the Resurrection against the Sadducees For after he had produced the place of Moses Exod. 3.6 where God calleth himself the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He inferres by a good Consequence for proofe of the Resurrection God is not the God of the Dead but of the Living 2. Truely whosoever is against the drawing out of any Consequence doth abolish all the common sense and all use of Reason which consists onely in that 3. We acknowledge That Faith proceeds another way then Humane Sciences do for Faith drawes all her Proofs from the Divine Authority but as the most famous School-men do observe the Sacred Divinity is Argumentative that is to say That it doth not abolish but on the contrary makes more Noble the use of Argumentation and Discourse We allow besides That the Rules of Legick are not Articles of Faith But notwithstanding we say that they are Tools and Instruments to handle all knowledge with order and certainty And Consequently the Theological Matters Fraud This is a Fraud of some Jesuites that in Disputations concerning Religion they will ever Question and never Answer 1. FOr it belongs to him that Affirmeth a Thing to prove it otherwise one might Affirm all things impudently 2. According to this Rule It belongeth then unto those who maintain That every day Christ is to be offered in a Propitiatory Sacrifice who maintain The Prayers unto the Dead to Justifie their Belief by the Word of God And to make us see That it hath been written and set down in clear and formal words or that it is drawn from it by a Necessary Consequence This is another of the Frauds of the Church of Rome 1. That the taking away of the Cup from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 2. Forbidding Marriage to Priests 3. And Divine Service being in an unknown Tongue to the People are onely grounded upon worldly Interest 1. This is true in Regard of the taking away the Cup from the Communion COncerning the taking away the Cup from the Sacrament This is the language of the Doctors of the Church of Rome That if it were possible to grant to the people the use of the Cup without doing any wrong to the Faith it should be a thing of small importance but that could not be because by the grant of the said use of the Cup a gate should be opened to require that all the Ordinances which are of positive right should be broken And yet say they They are they by which alone the Prerogative given by Christ to the Curch of Rome is conserved 2. This is true in regard of the Prohibition of Marriage to Clergie Men. FOr say the said Doctors from the Marriage of Clergie men if it were granted it should happen that they having a Family Wives and Children should no more depend from the Pope but from their natural Prince and their assecrions towards their issue would make them agree to all things wrongful unto the Church that they should indeavour to render Livings Hereditarie And in a short time the Holy Sea◠should 〈…〉 in the onely City of Rome That before the Coeliba or Single Life had been decreed The Roman See drew no thing at all from other Towns and Countries but by it was become Master of such a great number of Benefits Of whom by the Marriage of Clergie men it should be deprived in a short time 3. This is true in regard of Divine Service in a Tongue unknown to the people FOr say the said Doctors from the use of the vulgar Tongue in the Celebration of Divine Service it should follow that every one should esteem themselves Divines That the Prelates Authoritie should be vilified and that Heresie should creep in All. Of a most considerable Contradiction of the Principal Doctors of the Church of Rome in regard of their Doctrine That the Kingdom of Heaven And Eternal Life is due as a Debt to our good works 1. WE Reformed do Teach That he that sinneth hath deserved death worthily in respect of the sin committed which is a Transgression of Gods will and Commandement And for which without Remission there is no hope to Escape eternal Condemnation 2. But can he that worketh well for one or two or for more good Works claim unto himself as a due Debt the Kingdome of Heaven for the same 3. The Reformed Doctors do deny it for many strong Reasons 4. The Popish Doctors in the Schooles and in handling Controversies of Religion that are between the Reformed and the Church of Rome do openly affirm it maintaining that the Kingdome of Heaven and Eternal Life is due as a due Debt to our good works 5. 1. But howsoever it is now for a Fashion with great Countenance and vehement Disputation avouched by some Doctors of the Roman Church that we merit Heaven by our good works 2. Yet we are perswaded that no Adversary of Conscience can otherwise think or dare in peril of Death otherwise say but that he hath deserved for his sinnes punishment and death everlasting and cannot avoid the same if God will render to his works the reward that of due belongeth unto them 3. And therefore casting away all trust in his works will ask pardon and mercy not claim any debt or due reward of the Lord. 4. So though in their life time