The Glorious Kingdom of Christ, Chapter 7
Chap, VII. Whether there be any Jeruſalem Monarchy of Jews, or any further Converſion of them, more than of other Men, promiſed by God?
§ 1. I know of no ſuch Promiſe in Gods Word, but I find it in many Books of Men, and I hear of it in the Prayers and Sermons of many Men, ſo good, and of ſo good repute, that divers of my Friends diſſwade me from ſo much as giving my Reaſons againſt it, leſt I loſe my Reputation with ſuch Men, and leſt I occaſion a Diviſion by contradicting them. And is it come to that? Muſt our Concord be held on ſuch humane, looſe and unſound terms? Is this ſavouring the things of God, or of Men? If it be proved an Errour, taking Gods Name in vain, polluting Sacred Worſhip, and adding to the Word of God, muſt we by ſilence promote a Concord in it? I only humbly propoſe the Reaſons of my diſſent to the tryal of wiſer Men.
§ 2. 1. It belongeth to the Affirmers to produce their proofs: But I can find no Text cited by them, that to a ſober ſearch hath any ſuch proof.
1. As to the many Texts of the Prophets of the uniting of Judah and Iſrael under David their King, and the Jews repoſſeſſing their own Land, and the Subjection of their Enemies, and the Neighbour Nations to them, and the great Slaughters of Gog and Magog in their Land, &c. 1. Let the Grandeur of Prophetical ſtile he allowed for, and this compared with the Prophecies againſt Babylon, Tyre, Sion, Moab, Edom, &c.
2. Read the whole Text, and you will find moſt expreſs paſſages, that cannot be applyed to any ſuch time and uſe as this in queſtion, but plainly ſpeak of their return from Captivity, and their following ſtate. It would too much ſwell my Book to try and vindicate all the particular Texts Mr. James Calvert, having already done it in his Naphthali, yet unanſwered.
3. Confound not the Immediate Senſe of the Propheſie, with the remote, and ſet not one againſt the other, the ſeveral parts and degrees that make up the whole. Many Propheſies in the Pſalms are ſpoken immediately of David, but as he was a Type of Chriſt, in whom they were though remotely yet chiefly fulfilled.
The Propheſies of the honour of the Jews, and their Reſtoration, had divers degrees of fulfilling. 1. They were primarily fulfilled in the return from Captivity, and the Power that followed under Zorubbabel and the Maccabees. 2. They were further fulfilled by the Coming of the Meſſiah, of the Seed of Abraham and David, in whom all the Nations of the Earth are bleſſed. 3. They were further fulfilled at Chriſts Reſurrection, Aſcenſion, and Effuſion of the Holy Ghoſt, and the many Thouſands of them Converted; And their ſpreading the Goſpel over the Gentile World. 4. It was yet more fulfilled when Dominion was given to Chriſtians, and the fulneſs of the Gentiles brought in all Iſrael, and ſettled a National Church in Judea, and put all their Enemies in ſubjection to the Catholick Church of Jewiſh and Gentile Chriſtians, reconciled in one Body, the partition Wall being broken down 5. It will be yet more fulfilled in the New Heaven and Earth; under the Goſpel there is neither Circumciſion not Uncircumciſion, but Chriſt is All and in All: How much more in the New World?
He that would promiſe to redeem Chriſtians from Turkiſh Captivity, and reſtore them to their own Land, and proſper and honour them there if they will obey him, muſt not be thought to confound the ſeveral benefits and degrees of this Promiſe: He that will lead you into an upper Chamber, includeth every ſtep of the Stairs that you aſcend; and the promiſe of helping you up the firſt ſtep, includeth not the laſt, but tendeth to it, and if you obey will lead you further.
4. Read the Book of the Maccabees, and other Hiſtory, that you may not be ignorant of what is already done: For inſtance, How the great Ruine of Gog and Magog (ſo Hyperbolically ſet out) was fulfilled on the Syrian and Graecian Armies, (of which ſee the Aſſembly Mens Annotations.)
§ 3. II. Their next ſeeming proof is from Rom. 11. of which I have proved how much is fulfilled already; beſides which I find no more there promiſed, than to all the Church in the New World.
1. God caſt not away the fore-known Elect, v. 1, 2, to 11.
2. Through their Fall and Infidelity, perſecuting the Chriſtians from among them, the Goſpel came to the Gentiles, v. 12.
3. It was but ſome of the Branches that were broken off, v. 17.
4. As the caſting away of them was the converting and reconciling of the Pagan World; ſo their receiving was as a Reſurrection of life from the dead, v. 15.
5. The Converted Gentiles were but grafted in among them, and partakers with them, (and not without them) of the fatneſs of the Olive, v. 17.
6. Not the Root, but the ſome Branches that were broken off, was that we might be grafted in, v. 19. It was chiefly the Prieſts, and Rulers, and the ſelf-curſed Rabble that followed them, and yet ſome Prieſts and Phariſees were converted.
7. If they continue not in Gods Goodneſs, the Gentiles alſo ſhall be broken off, v. 22. So much of conditionality is in the Promiſe: And yet there is more Scripture to expect that the Gentiles ſhall not be broken off, than that there ſhall be any more National Converſion of the Jews.
8. The promiſe of reſtoring the broken Branches is, If they continue not in unbelief, v. 23.
9. Yet here is a Prophecy that the Jews ſhall be eminently replanted, v. 24. and not for ever left in general unbelief.
10. It was but blindneſs in part that happened to thoſe ſome, till the fulneſs of the Gentiles came in: Which muſt either mean, till the Empire of the Roman World fell into the Chriſtians hands: Or elſe till all the Gentiles were converted that ever ſhall be: This laſt cannot be the meaning, for then it would not be till the end of the World; therefore it muſt be the former, which is long fulfilled, v. 25.
11. So all Iſrael were ſaved, that is, 1. All the Iſrael of God, the believing Children of Abraham (for all are not Iſrael that are of Iſrael,) gathered into one Catholick Body. 2. And ſo many of Natural Iſrael as to make not only one of the two Witneſſes and Olive Trees, but alſo a formed National honoured Church-Society.
12. When to drive away the Goſpel to the Gentiles ſome were left in unbelief: The Elect part were they that were beloved for their Father Abrahams ſake, (much more for Chriſts ſake,) v. 28.
13. As it was from them that the Gentiles had the Goſpel; ſo it was from the Gentiles mercy that the reſtored Body of the Jews obtained mercy, being by the Chriſtian Emperors and Princes reſtored and honoured, v. 29, 30.
14. God left the Rulers and many others in unbelief, that he might recover (not each ſingle perſon, but) a Political Body and Power to the Nation as he did, v. 32. As Alexander Severus gave the Infidel Jews power to chuſe them a Governour of their own (under him) the Chriſtian Emperors did for the Chriſtian Jews much more.
15. Thus is Gods Goodneſs and Severity glorified: And what word in that Chapter proper to the Jews is not fulfilled?
§ 4. As to the Texts that mention the Reſtitution of all things, the Creatures groaning to be delivered from the bondage of corruption, drinking the fruit of the Vine new, and ſuch like; what word is in all this that reſpecteth the Jews more than the Gentiles, or that may not be performed in the New World, unlimited to Jews, or to a Thouſand years?
§ 5. The ſame I ſay of the Lords Prayer, Let thy Kingdom come, &c. which long made me hope for better days on this ſame Earth: But this ſaith nothing more of the Jews than of the Heathens. And who can here find any limitation of this Kingdom to a Thouſand years? All the Word that tells us what to pray for, doth not tell us what in this World we ſhall obtain. I doubt not but we may pray for Jews and all men, but that proveth not all ſhall be converted and ſaved: We may have hope of many Individual Jews, when we have no promiſe of a National further Reſtitution of the many more than of any others.