The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, Part 4 · Chapter 113
CHAP. CXIII.
Peace.
O That the Steersmen of the Nations might remember this, Bee wise and kisse the Sonne, lest he goe on in this His dreadfull anger, and dash them in peeces here and eternally.
Truth.
I therefore thirdly adde, That only such as are Abrahams Seed, circumcised in Heart, New-borne, Israel (or wrastlers with God) are the Antitype of the former Israel, Who are now the true Seed of Abraham.these are only the holy Nation (1 Pet. 2.) wonderfully redeemed from the Aegypt of this World (Titus 2. 14.) brought through the Red Sea of Baptisme (1 Cor. 10.) through the wildernesse of afflictions, and of the peoples (Dent. 8. Ez…k. 20.) into the Kingdome of Heaven begun below, even that Christian Land of Promise, where flow the everflowing streames and Rivers of Spirituall milke and honey.
Fourthly, All this people universally (in typicall and ceremoniall respect) were holy and cleane in this their separation and sequestration unto God, Exod. 19. 5. Hence, even in respect of their naturall birth in that Land they were an holy Seed, The people of Israel all holy in a typicall …and Ezr… makes it the matter of his great complaint, Ezra 9. 12. The holy Seed have mingled themselves.
But where is now that Nation or Country upon the face of the Earth, thus cleane and holy unto God, and bound to so many ceremoniall cleansings and purgings?
Are not all the Nations of the Earth alike cleane unto God, or rather alike uncleane, untill it pleaseth the Father of mercies to call some out to the Knowledge and Grace of his Sonne, making them to see their filthinesse and strangenesse from the Commonweale of Israel, All Nations now alike since the comming of the Lord Jesus.and to wash in the bloud of the Lambe of God.
This taking away the difference between Nation and Nation, Country and Country, is most fully and admirably declared in that great vision of all sorts of living creatures presented unto Peter, Acts 10. whereby it pleased the Lord to informe Peter of the abolishing of the difference between Iew and Gentile in any holy or unholy, cleane or uncleane respect.
Fifthly, (not only to speake of all, but to select one or two more) This people of Israel in that Nationall State were a type of all the Children of God in all ages under the profession of the Gospel, who are therefore called the Children of Abraham, The children of Israel a figure of the Israel or people of God only u…der the Gospel.and the Israel of God, Gal. 3.& Gal. 6. A Kingly Priesthood and holy Nation (1 Pet. 2. 9) in a cleare and manifest Antitype to the former Israel, Exod. 19. 6.
Hence Christians now are figuratively in this respect called Iewes, Rev. 3. where lies a cleare distinction of the true and false Christian under the consideration of the true and false Iew: Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Sathan that say they are Jewes and are not, but doe lie, Rev. 3. But such a typicall respect we finde not now upon any People, Nation or Country of the whole World: But out of all Nations, Tongues and Languages is God pleased to call some and redeem them to Himselfe (Rev. 5. 9.) And hath made no difference betweene the Iewes and Gentiles, Greekes and Scithians, Gal. 3. who by Regeneration or second birth, become the Israel of God, Gal. 6. the Temple of God, 1 Cor. 3. and the true Ierusalem, Heb. 12.
Lastly,The people of Israel … rent from all the world in their figurative and ceremoniall worships. all this whole Nation or people, as they were of one typicall seed of Abraham, & sealed with a shamefull & painfull Ordinance of cutting off the fore-skin, Wch differenced them from all the World beside: So also were they bound to such and such solemnities of figurative worships. Amongst many others I shall end this passage concerning the people with a famous observation out of Numb. 9. 1 3. viz. All that whole Nation was bound to celebrate and keepe the Feast of the Passeover in his season, or else they were to be Put to death. But doth God require a whole Nation, Country or Kingdome now thus to celebrate the spirituall Passeover, the Supper and Feast of the Lambe Christ Iesus, at such a time once a yeare, and that whosoever shall not so doe shall bee put to death? What horrible prophanations, Israel Gods only Church might well renew that Nationall Covenant and ceremoniall worship which other Nations cannot imitate.what grosse hypocrisies, yea what wonderfull desolations (sooner or later) must needs follow upon such a course?
Tis true, the people of Israel, brought into covenant with God in Abraham, and so successively borne in Covenant with God, might (in that state of a Nationall Church) solemnly covenant and sweare that whosoever would not seeke Iehovah the God of Israel, should be put to death, 2 Chron. 15. whether small or great, whether man or woman.
But may whole Nations or Kingdomes now (according to any one title exprest by Christ Iesus to that purpose) follow that patterne of Israel and put to death all, both men and women, great and small, that according to the rules of the Gospel are not borne againe, penitent, humble, heavenly, patient? &c. What a world of hypocrisie from hence is practised by thousands, that for feare will stoope to give that God their bodies in a forme, whom yet in truth their hearts affect not?
Yea also what a world of prophanation of the holy Name andThe hypocrisies, prophanations, and slaughters which such imitation now in the Gospell produce. holy Ordinances of the Lord in prostituting the holy things of God (like the Vessels of the Sanctuary, Dan. 5.) to prophane, impenitent and unregenerate persons?
Lastly, what slaughters both of men and women must this necessarily bring into the world, by the Insurrections and Civill Warres about Religion and Conscience? Yea what slaughters of the innocent and faithfull witnesses of Christ Jesus, who choose to bee slaine all the day long for Christ his sake, and to fight for their Lord and Master Christ, onelyonly with spirituall and Christian weapons?