The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, Part 4 · Chapter 112
CHAP. CXII.
Peace.
DOubtlesse that Canaan Land was not a patterne for all Lands: It was a none-such, unparalleld and unmatchable.
Truth.
Many other considerations of the same nature I might annex, but I picke here and there a flowre,The difference of the people of Israel and all other Peoples. The people of Israel the seed of one man. and passe on to a second Head concerning the people themselves, wherein the state of the people shall appeare unmatchable, but only by the true Church and Israel of God.
First, the people of Israel were all the Seed or Off-spring of one man Abraham, Psal. 105. 6. and so downward the Seed of Isaac and Iacob, hence called the Israel of God, that is, wrastlers and prevailers with God, distinguished into twelve Tribes all sprung out of Israels loynes.
But now, few Nations of the World but are a mixed Seed, the people of England especially the Britaines, Picts, Romanes, Saxons, Danes and Normans, by a wonderfull providence of God being become one English people.
Only the Spirituall Israel and Seed of God the New-borne are but one:Only made good in the Spirituall seed, the regene…ate or new-borne. Christ is the Seed, Gal. 3. and they only that are Christs are only Abrahams Seed and Heires according to the promise.
This Spirituall Seed is the only Antitype of the former figurative and typicall: A Seed which all Christians ought to propagate, yea even the unmarried men and women (who are not capable of naturall off spring) for thus is this called the Seed of Christ (who lived and died unmarried Isa. 59. 21.
Secondly, this people was selected and separated to the Lord, his Covenant and Worship from all the people and Nations of the World beside to be his peculiar and onelyonly people, Levit. 20. 26. &c.
Therefore such as returned from Babyl…n … Ierusalem, they separated …hemselves to eat the Passeover, … 6 And in that solemne humiliation and confession before the Lord, Nehem 9.The people of Israel separate from all Nations in Sp… all and in some Civill things. the children of Israel separated themselves from all strangers.
This separation of theirs was so famous, that it extended not only to Circumcision, the Passeover, and matters of Gods worship, but even to temporall and civill things: Thus (Ezra 9) they separated or put away their very wives, which they had taken of the strange Nations contrary to the Commandement of the Lord.
But where hath the God of Heaven in the Gospel separated whole Nations or Kingdomes (English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, No Nation so s…parated to God in the Gospel, but only the new borne Israel that feare God in every Nation.&c.) as a peculiar people and Antitype of the people of Israel? Yea where the least footing in all the Scripture for a Nationall Church after Christs comming?
Can any people in the world patterne this samplar but the Newborne Israel, such as feare God in every Nation (Acts 10. 35.) commanded to come forth and separate from all uncleane things or persons, (2 Cor. 6.) and though not bound to put away strange wives as Israel did, because of that peculiar respect upon them in Civill things, yet to be holy or set apart to the Lord in all manner of civill conversation, 1 Pet. 1. Only to marry in the Lord, yea and to marry as if they married not 1 Cor 7. yea to hate wife and children, father, mother, house and land, yea and life it selfe for the Lord Iesus, Luc. 14.
Thirdly, this Seed of Abraham thus separate from all people unto the Lord was wonderfully redeemed and brought from Aegypts bon…age through the Red Sea, and the Wildernesse unto the Land of Canaan, by many strange signes and wonderfull miracles, wrought by the ou…stretched hand of the Lord, famous and dreadfull,The whole people of Israel … of Egypt. and to be admired by all succeeding peoples and generations, Deut. 4. 32, 33, 34. Aske now from one side of the Heaven unto the other, whether there hath been such a thing as this, &c?
And we may aske againe from one side of the Heaven unto the other whether the Lord hath now so miraculously redeemed and brought unto Himselfe any Nation or people as he did this people of Israel.Not so any whole Nation now.
Peace.
The English, Scot…h, Dutch &c. are apt to make themselves the parallels, as wonderfully come forth of Pope…y, &c.
Truth.
1. But first, whole Nations are no Churches under the Gospel.
Secondly, bring the Nations of Europe professing Protestanisme to the ballance of the Sanctuary, Pope…y not so easily turned from as i… conceived.and ponder well whether the body, bulk, the generall or one hundreth part of such peoples be truly turned to God from Popery.
Who knowes not how easie it is to turne, and turne, and turn againe whole Nations from one Religion to another?
Who knowes not that within the compasse of one poore span of 12 yeares revolution,Wonderfull turnings in Religion in 12 yeares conpasse in England. all England hath become from halfe Papist, halfe Protestant, to be absolute Protestants; from absolute Protestants, to absolute Papists; from absolute Papists (changing as fashions) to absolute Protestants?
I will not say (as some worthy witnesses of Christ have uttered) that all England and Europe must againe submit their faire necks to the Popes yoake: But this, I say, many Scriptures concerning the destruction of the Beast and the Whore looke that way: And I adde,The Pope not unlike to recover his Monarchie over Europe before his downfall. they that feele the pulse of the people seriously must confesse that a victorious Sword, and a Spanish Inquisition will soone make millions face about as they were in the Fore-Fathers times.