The Glorious Kingdom of Christ, Chapter 5
Chap. V. That the Ten Tribes were not loſt, or Extinct.
§ 1. 1. THis is ſo clear by abundance of Propheſies in Iſaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, Hoſea, that it would be tedious to recite them; viz. That Judah and Iſrael were to be again made one Kingdom, as two Sticks made one Stick, and David their King to reign over them: If this was not fulfilled, the Propheſie would fail, which muſt not be imagined: For (as is aforeſaid) if it be not fulfilled, they being now extinct, and not exiſtent, it never can be fulfilled.
§ 2. 2. There is no probability (as Mr. Mather hath well noted in his Diatriba) that all or moſt of the common people were tranſplanted; but only the Rulers, and Rich, and Military and Leading Men. For 1. Conſidering how many Millions that ſmall Land maintained, it is improbable that ſo great a multitude could be ſo far Ruled by an Army, or that they ſhould ſoon find vacant Habitations, and Victuals for them. 2. And it is more unlikely that Salmanaſſer ſhould find ſo many of his Subjects to ſend into their places, and that all thoſe ſhould be willing of a removal into ſo ſmall a Land. 3. And it is known that no ſuch thing hath been done by Conquerours in any other Land. Nebuchadnezzar took from Jeruſalem none but the Princes, Nobles, Prieſts, Rich Men, Souldiers, and Men fit for his Militia, and Smiths, and Carpenters, &c. But he left the common people to Manure the Land: Otherwiſe they would loſe all their Tribute, and the Fruit of the Ground.
In all the Conqueſts made by the Perſians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians, the Saracens, the Turks, the Tartarians by Tamerlane, there hath no ſuch thing been done, as the tranſplanting of the moſt of the common Inhabitants.
Indeed the beggarly Goths, and Vandals, Oſtrogaths and Hemli, &c. came with their Wives and Children ſometimes, reſolving to poſſeſs or die: But what was a hundred thouſand of ſuch to all Italy when they poſſeſt it; or to all Spain, or all France, or Africk, in compariſon of the Inhabitants whom they ſubdued and maſtered?
In England how few were the Romans, yea or the Saxons, or the Danes, or the Normans, in compariſon of the Britains that were brought in ſubjection unto them? It was but the Great men, and Rich, and Military, and ſome fearful people that fled from their Armies, that fled into Wales. As Mr. Tho. Jones in his Hearts Soveraignty hath truly proved, the main Body of this Nation called Engliſh, is of the Brittiſh Bllod (it's like many hundred to one) though the Language followed the ruling part.
§ 3. 3. It is evident that All the Twelve Tribes were in the Dominion of Cyrus, when he ſent the Jews to repair the Temple and City: The Two Tribes at Babylon where he made Darius King, and the Ten in his Hereditary Dominions and his Conqueſts, as Mr. Calvet in his Naphthali hath ſhewed; and as will appear by the Topography of the places named in Scripture, to which they were carried, Learnedly opened by Mr. Lee, abating his conceit of Tartary. And it is evident that Cyrus meant not to confine the grant of his free return to the Two Tribes: But thoſe that were not willing to return he did not compel: And moſt had poſſeſſion by that time of wider and fatter Habitations. Ezra 1. Cyrus made no queſtion of their liberty to dwell in Judea: But it was Gods Houſe at Jeruſalem that God charged him to Build, for which end he ſaith, ver. 3. [Who is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jeruſalem which is in Judah, and Build the Houſe of the Lord God of Iſrael (he is the God) which is at Jeruſalem. And whoſoever remaineth in any place where he Sojourneth, let the Men of his place lift him up with Silver, and with Gold, and with Goods, and with Beaſts, &c. Were the Ten Tribes none of the people of the God of Iſrael? I muſt not ſwell this Book too big: Let the Reader that is willing to underſtand, peruſe Ezra, Nehemiah, Eſther, and Daniel, with Haggai, and Zechariah, and conſider the Grants of Darius, and Artaxerxes, and the vaſt number of Jews ſtill remaining abroad in the perſecution of Haman, and he will find that it was not for want of Liberty to return that ſo many ſtayed behind, but becauſe the avoided returning as a Suffering: And multitudes that had a Zeal for Jeruſalem, ſettled in Egypt at Alexandria, that thence they might three times a year come to the Temple, without too much loſs and coſt.
§ 4. 4. In Chriſts time the Habitations of the Ten Tribes was of the ſame Religion with thoſe at Jeruſalem: And went thither to the Feaſts; and ſubmitted to their Prieſts and Ceremonies; Chriſt lived from his Childhood ſtill in Galilee: At Nazareth and Capernaum, where Peter, Andrew, James and John lived: That is, cloſe by the Ford of Jordan, by which is the paſſage to Egypt: There he had far more Followers than about Jeruſalem: Thence went his ſuppoſed Father, and Brethren ordinarily to the Feaſts at Jeruſalem: Zechary and Elizabeth, many Levites, Scribes and Phariſees dwell in the Countrey of the Ten Tribes: Though Samaria about the place of Worſhip, by Cuſtoms kept up ſome Animoſity againſt Jeruſalem, yet the Woman, John 4. could ſay, When the Meſſiah cometh he will tell us all things: And is not this the Chriſt: And what place ſo generally received the Goſpel when Philip preached to them? It was not for nothing that the Chriſtians were ſo long called Galileans. But this and more ſhall next be proved.