The Glorious Kingdom of Christ, Chapter 6
Chap. VI. What Converſion the Twelve Tribes have already had?
§ 2. 1. AS is aforeſaid, The Saviour himſelf (and his Apoſtles) choſe his abode on Earth among them; and calleth them the loſt Sheep of the houſe of Iſrael; and the Children whoſe Bread muſt not be given to Dogs: They were the Circumciſion to whom he was a Miniſter: He ordinarily Preached in their Synagogues, and there wrought moſt of his Miracles: It was they that cryed him as King with Hoſanna's: It was they that followed him to the Croſs; and it was in Galilee where on a Mountain he appointed them to meet him after his Reſurrection.
§ 2. 2. He appointed (not two, but) Twelve Apoſtles, and 70 Diſciples, as ſuited to the Twelve Tribes and their Sanedrim, to ſhew what Form of Government he aſſigned them, and for whom, and he ſent his Apoſtles to the Twelve Tribes of Iſrael.
§ 3. 3. The chief ſucceſs of their Preaching was on the Samaritans and others of the Ten Tribes; and ſuch of them as came up to the Feaſts.
§ 4. 4. There were three thouſand at once converted of the Jews; after made five thouſand; and ſoon after many Myriads of Jews believed (at leaſt many thouſands.)
§ 5. 5. Theſe became the Mother-Church, and the Law went out of Zion, and ſo all Nations were bleſt in Abrahams Seed, and Chriſt became a Light to the Gentiles, and the Glory of his People Iſrael: The ſcattered Jews of the Twelve Tribes through much of the Empire, were the Stamina or Rudiments of the Gentile Churches: The Apoſtles firſt Preached in their Synagogues, and the converted Gentiles were added to their Converts.
§ 6. 6. The Epiſtle to the Hebr… was written to all the Hebrew Chriſtians, and not to Two Tribes only; and implieth the great ſucceſs of the Goſpel on them.
§ 7. 7. Peter directeth his Epiſtle to all the Strangers ſcattered through Pontus, Aſia, Galatia, Phrygia, &c. and magnifieth their Grace.
§ 8. 8. James directeth his Epiſtle to the Twelve Tribes, that are ſcatter'd abroad: And it is evident that he writeth to them as Chriſtians.
§ 9. 9. The ſeventh Chapter of the Revelations expreſly nameth the Twelve Tribes, of which One Hundred and Forty four Thouſand were Sealed, Twelve Thouſand of each Tribe (meaning a great number) that were to be preſerved from the Deſtruction that was to be executed on their Enemies. The boldneſs of thoſe Expoſitors who give us their own Revelation inſtead of Chriſts, is palpable: who tell us that by theſe One Hundred and Forty four Thouſand is meant all the Reformed that are ſaved from the deſtruction to be executed on the Papiſts? What words can we deſire God to uſe more plain, that Men may not pervert? 1. God ſpeaketh of Jews, and they ſay he meaneth Gentiles. 2. God nameth the Tribes, and they exclude them. 3. They are called [The Firſt Fruits] of the Church:Rev. 14. …. And they ſay, It meaneth the laſt. 4. The numberleſs Gentile Chriſtians that with them partaked of the preſervation, are by way of diſtinction mentioned in the next words: Yet theſe Commentators ſay, That the Gentiles are meant by the Twelve Tribes. 5. The Propheſie is put in the beginning before the Trumpets or Vials, even before all the Judgments that were to come on Infidel Jews and Romans; yet do they bring it down towards the end of the World, or after the Fall of Pagan Rome.
§ 10. 10. It was ſome conſiderable time before the Jewiſh Chriſtians could be ſatisfied to let go their Priviledge of Peculiarity and Moſaick Policy, and to Embody on equal Terms with the Gentiles in the Catholick Church, and to Marry with Gentile Chriſtians: And all that time Dr. Hammond, and Grotius, and others ſay, They had in the great Cities one Church of Jews and one of Gentiles; which alſo difference of Language would require; and ſo had two Biſhops in a City: And Peter for the Circumciſion, and Paul for the Uncircumciſion, were the Roots of the Jewiſh and Gentile Miracle-working Miniſtry, which I ſuppoſe were the Two Witneſſes mentioned in the Revelation; For whoever they were they may be known by the Promiſe, Mark 16. 17, 18. In my Name ſhall they caſt out Devils, they ſhall duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page ſpeak with new Tongues, they ſhall take up Serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it ſhall not hurt them, they ſhall lay Hands on the ſick, and they ſhall recover.] Our Reformers pretended not to Miracles.
§ 11. 11. At the Wars of Veſpaſian and Titus againſt the Jews, One Million and One Hundred Thouſand were kill'd, and Seven Hundred Thouſand carried into Captivity; and the Chriſtians fore-warned by Chriſt, got out of the City and eſcaped. And in Trajan's days a Madneſs ſeized on the Infidel Jews, and they roſe up and Murdered many ſcore Thouſands of the Roman Subjects: And after Barchocheba proclaimed himſelf the Meſſiah, Murdered ſo many more as amounted to an Hundred Thouſands: VVhereupon Trajan and Adrian in Revenge kill'd between One and Two Millions of theſe Rebel Jews, ſtill ſparing the Chriſtians. After all this, the Infidel Jews could have but a ſmall number left: All London hath not near a Million. By which it appeareth that the main Body of the Jews preſerved, were the Chriſtians, to whom the Curſed part were few.
§ 12. 12. The Converted Jews fell into the Catholick Church, and Married with Gentile Chriſtians, and ſo ere long loſt the name of Jews, and became unknown.
So that the ſcattered Relicks now called Jews are but the Off-ſpring of the Self-curſed Rabble that were ſcattered after the aforeſaid ſlaughter of them.
§ 13. 13. In Conſtantine's Reign the Jews had as much Liberty and Invitation to be Chriſtians as any others: And Judea was not only made a National-Provincial Church, but was more honoured for Chriſts ſake than any Nation no greater, ſave the Imperial Seat. There were more Churches Built, and more Monaſteries, and more Biſhops, than elſewhere, in ſo ſmall a compaſs: No Jew was forbidden there to live. No Countrey ſo honoured: The Devout People from Rome and many Countreys went thither, ſome on Pilgrimage, and ſome to dwell: Thence they fetcht what Relicks they could get in remembrance of Chriſt. There at Bethlehem Jerom lived while he wrote and ſtudied much of his Works.
§ 14. 14. Since then in all Ages ſome of the Infidel Relicks have been converted: Whether the Hiſtory of the diſpute between Gregentius and Herbanus, and the miraculous Converſion of them by Chriſts Appearance be true or no, (which few judicious Men believe) in all Ages many Jews have been Baptized, and ſome proved excellent Divines.
§ 15. 15. When all the Ten Kingdoms that had been Tributary or Subject to the Pagan Empire, ſo quickly followed the ſucceſs of Conſtantine and the Chriſtian Arms, and turned againſt the Pagan Idolatry, it is utterly incredible that multitudes of the Infidel Jews did not the ſame. No one Nation turned all at once: And no one National Church under Heaven were all (that I ſay not the moſt) ſincerely holy Chriſtians: The viſible Church ſtill conſiſted moſtly of temporizing Men, that came in to Chriſtianity for worldly Intereſt, over-awed by Chriſtian Power: Till it came to this, the Chriſtians were a perſecuted party, and no National Church. And the unbelieving Jews were not like to be ſo free from the Love of the Fleſh and VVorld, as not to do as others did. Chriſt Riding victoriouſly on the VVhite Horſe, and Conquering his Enemies, brought the Nations to Submiſſion, after he had by the Word and Martyrdom purified to himſelf a holy Generation. As all the Revelation fully telleth us. Therefore if Judea was not made a National Church, no other Nation was made ſuch.
Zonaras ſaith that many hired by Money turned Chriſtians, Two Hundred Thouſand turned Chriſtians for fear in their Troubles at Toledo in Spain (whither they were long before ſent.) And Forty Fryars were ſent to inſtruct them. After that Ferrerius converted many. Read but the Chronological Tables of my worthy Friend Mr. Fr. Tallents, and you ſhall find, how they were hated, hunted and deſtroyed, in Spain, France, and almoſt all Chriſtians Nations, except Rome, and how many turned ſeeming Chriſtians for fear.