The Faith of the Fathers, Title page – To the reader
The Faith of the Fathers.
OR, The Articles of the True RELIGION, All of them Exhi…ited In the Express Words of the Old Testament.
Partly, To Confirm those who do prof…ss that RELIGION of God, and His MESSIAH.
But Chiefly, To Engage the JEWISH NATION, unto the RELIGION of their Patriarchs; And, Bring down the Hearts of the Fathers into the Children, and the Disobedient unto the Wisdom of the Just; and so, To make Ready a People prepared for the Lord.
By COTTON MATHER.
Beginning at Moses, and all the Prophets, He Expounded unto them, in all the Scriptures, the Things concerning, THE CHRIST.
BOSTON in NEW-ENGLAND. Printed by B. Green, and J. Allen. 1699.
Isa. 40.3, 5. Prepare ye the way of the Lord; And the Glory of the Lord, shall be Revealed.
The Memorable Words of Rabbi Samuel Marochianus, in his Book, about, The Coming of the Messiah. THE Prophet Amos Expressly mentions, that Fourth Crime [Amos 2.6.] of, Selling the Iust one for Silver, for which we have been in our Captivity. It m…nifestly appears to me, that for that Sin of Selling the Just one, we are Justly punished. It is now a Thousand Years, and more; and in a…l this while, we have made no Good Hand of it among the Gentiles, nor is there any likelihood of our ever any more Coming to Good. O my God I am afraid, I am afraid, Lest the Iesus, whom the Christians Worship, were the Iust one Sold for Silver!
To the JEWISH Nation.
ONE thing that Satisfies Ʋs Christians, in the Truth of Christianity, is Your Obstinate Aversion to that Holy Religion. Our Blessed JESUS, the Author of our Faith, foretold your continuance under the Circumstances now come upon you, until the Times of the Gentiles in the Four Monarchies, just now Expiring, are Expired. And your own Inspired Prophets, who are now more Ours, than Yours, foretold your bei… paenally given up to the Deafness, Blindness; and Hardness now upon you. But, behold, a Proclamation here sent you from Heaven, inviting you, to persist no longer in your Damnable Rebellion against the CHRIST of God! Here is now put into your Hands, an Irresistible and Irrefragable Demonstration, That tho' you say, You are Jews, you are not so. If in this Essay, the Common Translation of any Text, is at all varied from, 'tis done with as Good Authority as any that there is for the Common Translation; and most Commonly with the Authority of your own Jewish Writers. Be amazed, O ye Rebellious & Rejected People of our Great Lord Messiah; We Christians, have by the Wonderful Work of God, been brought unto the Faith of the Fathers; but you are fallen from that Faith, & under Strong Delusions, you are Pining away in your Iniquities. Return, O backsliding Israel! All that we Christians desire of you, or for you, (and we all desire it!) is, That you would Return to the Faith of the Old Testament. Be it known to you, That if you do not now Submit unto our Blessed JESUS, all the Glorious Oracles of the Old Testament, will come in, as Witnesses against you. In the Name of the Great God, I demand it of you, That you Seriously Consider the Things here laid before you; And be now at last Astonish'd, that you have all this while no more Consider'd 'em.