Treatise of the Four Degenerate Sons, Treatise · Part 4 · Section 8
SECT. 8. Of the lets and hinderances of the converſion of the Jewes.
THe lets and hinderances that hinder the Iewes converſion are of two ſorts; firſt, the impediments which come from themſelves, and ſecondly, that come from others.
The firſt let of the converſion of the Iewes.The firſt maine let of the converſion of the Iewes, is becauſe the vaile lies upon their hearts unto this day, 2 Cor. 3.14. The vaile put upon Moſes his face ſignifieth that they could not looke unto the end of the Law, Ieſus Chriſt. Moſes his face ſo ſhined, that the Iſraelites could not behold the brightneſſe of it, therefore he was compelled to put a vaile upon his face, but when his face was vailed this wayes, they could not behold his face, therefore he behoved to unvaile it againe; and the ſignification of it was this, that the Law firſt, and of it ſelfe threatens us and curſes us: theſe threatnings and curſes of the Law the earnall Iewes could not abide; therefore the Law was vailed to them, untill the Spirit came and tooke away the vaile, and then they beganne to looke unto the end of the Law, Ieſus Chriſt.
Queſt. Whether did Moſes cover his face that the Iſraelites might not ſee it or not?
Anſw. Moſes did not put a vaile upon his face, that the Iſraelites might not ſee his face, but becauſe they could not behold his face, therefore hee covered his face, and foreign, here is put for foreign, as Matth. 19.8. Moſes himſelfe knew not that his face did ſhine, when hee came downe from the mountaine, untill he perceived it by the people, who deſired him to put a vaile upon his face when hee ſpake with the people; but when hee went before the Lord to ſpeake with him, he tooke the vaile off his face, Exod. 34.34. And the ſignification of it was this, that Moſes his miniſtrie in giving of the law, as it reſpected Gods purpoſe, was glorious and ſhining; for Chriſt is the end of the Law to all beleevers, Rom. 10.4. but when he turned to the people then hee was vailed, to ſignifie that the law which was given to them a carnall people, was a vailed law ſtill; Moſes knew not that his face did ſhine, and the ſignification of it was this, that it belongs not to Moſes which is the miniſter onelyonly of the letter of the Law, to know theſe myſteries of the Goſpell, but it belongs only to the ſpirit, who takes away this vaile that thoſe myſteries may be manifeſted, and to ſhow that the end of the Law is Ieſus Chriſt.
He will take away the vaile: An alluſion to the vaile which was put on womens heads.The Apoſtle alludes here to the uſe of the vaile, which was amongſt the Iewes; for the women, when they were married to their huſbands, they put a vaile upon their head, in token of ſubjection to their husbands. So the Iewes were married to the Law firſt, as to a husband, and were in ſubjection to it; but now being dead to the Law, they are married to Chriſt, Rom. 7.4. When this vaile which was a ſigne of their ſubjection and blindneſſe ſhall be taken away, then they ſhall behold Ieſus Chriſt the end of the Law, as in a moſt cleare glaſſe, and their eyes ſhall not be dazled, as they were when they beheld Moſes; but it ſhall be a moſt pleaſant and comfortable ſight unto them.
Moſes underſtood not this, that his face did ſhine,The Patriaches and Prophets underſtood not many things whereof they were types. or what it meant: Hence wee may learne that the fathers underſtood not many types, yea, not thoſe things whereof they were types themſelves: Example, Noah and his houſhold ſaved in the Arke, and the world drowned, was a type of our baptiſme, the regenerate and new man in baptiſme is ſaved, and the old man drowned; as Noah and his houſhold were ſaved, and the world drowned; yet Noah underſtood not this. So when the Iſraelites paſſed through the red ſea, and Pharaoh, and his armie drowned; this was a type of our baptiſme, 1 Cor. 10. and yet Moſes underſtood not this: So when Ionas was three dayes in the Whales bellie hee was a type of Ieſus Chriſt, who was three dayes in the heart of the earth, yet Ionas underſtood not this; So Moſes underſtood not what this vaile put upon his face meant. This ſhould teach us to be thankefull to the Lord who hath revealed unto us now both the things ſignified, and the types.
The ſecond let of the converſion of the Iewes.The ſecond reaſon which hinders their converſion is, that they looke onelyonly upon Chriſts infirmities; they were offended at the baſeneſſe of his countrie; Nathaneel himſelfe tooke exception againſt him for this; Can any good thing come out of Nazaret▪ ſo for his parentage, We know whence this man is, Ier. 7.27. and Matth. 13.55. Is not this the Carpenters ſonne, and are not his brethren with us. And at his wiſedome, verſ. 54. But moſt of all they ſtumbled at his infirmities, and baſe eſtate upon the croſſe;foreign Chriſt became Ben Adam for us; ſo he became Ben Enoſh for us: As he became a man for us; ſo he became an infirme and weake man for us cloathed with our infirmities; Read the 53. of Iſaias, and ye ſhall ſee what baſeneſſe he was ſubject to, ſeparate and ſet a part like a Leper, that men ſhould turne away their faces from him, and not looke upon him, and that hee ſhould be a worme and no man. Pſal. 22. Rejected of men, a man of ſorrowes, and acquainted with griefes.
The ancient Iewes themſelves confeſſed this that the Meſſias ſhould be loaden caſtigationibus, quaſi molaribus lapid bus. R. Iacob being asked what the name of their Meſſias ſhould be,Haec in Thalmud. hece tractatu de Sanedrim. Anſwered, that he ſhould be called Leproſus, a Leper, alluding to that of the 53. of Iſaias: Theſe infirmities ſhould not make them to reject him, if they looke with a ſpirituall eye upon him; but becauſe they looke with a carnall eye onelyonly upon him, they wait for a glorious Meſſias, but the Lord foretold them by Daniel, that Chriſts kingdome ſhould not be a flouriſhing kingdome, by that viſion which was ſhewne to Nebuchadnezar of the foure Monarchies, repreſented by the foure mettals, by gold, ſilver, braſſe, and iron; yet a little ſtone hewed without the hand of man ſhould breake them all to peeces: It was but a little ſtone, baſer than any of the mettals, to ſhew us, that although Chriſts kingdome in outward ſhew ſhould be a baſe kingdome, wanting all worldly helpe, yet it ſhould overthrow thoſe great monarchies.
The third let of their converſion,The third let of the converſion of the Iewes. is the miſapplication of the Scriptures: When the Ethiopian did read the Propheſie of Iſaiah, Act. 8.34. he doubted whether the Prophet Eſay ſpake of himſelfe or of another there; and that he might not applie the, Scripture falſely, therefore Philip was ſent to him to teach him, but thoſe unſtable ſoules wreſt the Scripture foreign a ſpeech borrowed from thoſe who put a man upon a racke, which cauſeth the man to ſpeake that which hee never meant: So theſe make the Scriptures to ſpeake that which they never meant: He that churnes milke, ſhortly brings forth butter, and hee that wrings the noſe brings forth bloud Pro. 30.33. So thoſe who ſtraine the Scriptures, bring forth a wrong ſenſe. Take but this one example of wrong application, Eſa. 53.8. a praevaricatione populi mei percuſſio ei infligitur, for the tranſgreſſion of my people was he ſtricken: but the Iewes perverſly read the words after this manner, for the tranſgreſſion of my people they were ſtricken; and Abenezra gives the reaſon; becauſe Lamo ſignifies many, and not one: So A. Brabaniel commenting upon, Eſa. 53.…5. ſaith, that La… is ſpoken ſtill of moe, and not of one; but we have proofes every where that (moe) is ſpoken of one,foreign and not of many, Pſ. 11.7. Eſay 44.15. Iob 27.23. and Iob 20.23. The Iewes ſince they gave Ieſus Chriſt vinegar and gall to drinke, the Scripture to them is never ſweet as the honie, and the honie combe.
The fourth let of the converſation of the Iewes.The fourth reaſon that lets their converſion is, becauſe they reade onelyonly the five bookes of Moſes now, neglecting the Prophets; they are wonderfull ignorant in them, where their teſtimonies are cleareſt concerning Chriſt; and notwithſtanding the Prophets are called mickra from kara, legere, yet they reade them not; and therefore they are juſtly compared Le almonoth haiioth, foreignvivis viduis, to living widdowes, whoſe husbands love ſtrange women, but neglect their owne wives at home; ſo the Iewes delight to read their Talmud, and Miſhna, and Cabala, and ſuch traſh, and neglect the holy Prophets.
The fift let of the converſion of the Iewes. foreignThe fifth reaſon which hinders their converſion is, becauſe they follow not the literall ſenſe of the Scripture, but runne into Allegories, and they call theſe allegories dabhor gadol, rem maximam. And the literall ſenſe of the Scripture they call dabhor caton, rem minor…s momenti, foreigna thing of little worth; and they compare the literall ſenſe of the Scripture to an halfe pennie candle, but the myſticall ſenſe of the Scripture they compare to a precious pearle, which when it is lying hidde in ſome darke corner of the houſe, yet by the literall ſenſe the halfe pennie candle they finde out their precious allegories, and that every Scripture hath in it keliphoth and labhoth, foreigncorda & cruſtas, the ſhell and the kernell, the ſhell they make the literall ſenſe, and the allegoricall the kernell.
The ſixt let of the converſion of the Iewes.The ſixt reaſon which hinders their converſion, is, becauſe they preferre the Talmud to the Scriptures; and they ſay that the text of the Scriptures is like water, and Miſhua like wine, and the Talmud like ſpiced wine,Talmud in Maſighta cap. 15. halicha 7 & ſequente 8. and that it is not poſſible that a man may want water, wine, or ſpiced wine; but he that is a rich man or a learned ſcribe, ſhould have all the three in readineſſe;foreign So they compare the Law to ſalt, Miſhna to pepper, and the Talmud to ſpices: when a child is five yeares old, they admit him to reade the bible, when he is ten yeares old, hee is to read Miſhna, Miſhna they call thoſe traditions which Moſes delivered to them by word.and when he is thirteene yeare old, he is filius praecepti, and eates the paſſeover, and obſerves their purifications; but when hee is fifteene yeare old, then they will have him to read the Talmud: but the high myſterie of Ezekiels chariot,foreign Ezech. 1. which they call opus Merkabha, they will not have him to read, before he be ſixtie yeares old. Therefore when Iohannan offered to teach Eleazar his Schollar opus de Merkabha, he anſwered very modeſtly Lo kaſhei non incanui, as Ariſtotle ſaith, Invenis non eſt Idoneus auditor moralis Philoſophiae, foreignA young man is not fit to be a ſcholler in morall Philoſophie; ſo they ſay that young men were not fit to heare that great myſterie of Merkabha before they were ſixtie yeares of age.
Although there be ſome good ſayings in the Talmud, which may ſerve us to cleare ſome places of Scripture, yet they ſhould not dote up on it, and neglect the holy Scriptures: R. Eleazer ſaid well, Calefacias te ad ignem ſapientum, ſed cave a prunis earum ne forte ad…raris, warme thy ſelfe at the fire of wiſe men, but take heede that thou be not burnt with the coales; ſo malegranatum inveniſti meditullio, ejus veſcere at putame… ſecerne, thou haſt found a pomgranate, eate the kernell, but take heede of the ſhell.
The ſeventh impediment is this,The ſeventh let of the converſion of the Iewes. they will not ſuffer their children to be brought up in humane learning, and humane ſciences; but they accurſt him, qui …luerit ſu…m aut didicerit ſapientiam Graecorum, Ʋide ſecundam prefationem Eli… in Mazoreth.that is, who feedes a Sow, and learnes the artes and ſciences which the Greekes profeſſe, and therefore Omnis exotica lingua eſt illis Barbara, all other tongues are barbarous to them, and they accurſe him as Anathema, & deſcendit ad infer…s, qui docet diſcipulum quem non deberet, that is, who teaches a ſchollar who is a Gentile. Elias Levita was greatly hated amongſt his countrie men, becauſe he taught the Cardinall of Viterbia, and ſome other Italians the Hebrew tongue.
Reaſons proceeding from others which let the Iewes converſion.There are other lets hindering the converſion of the Iewes which proceede not from themſelves but from others: As firſt, the prophane converſation of the Chriſtians is a great let to their converſion: The Lord objected to the Iewes that his name was evill ſpoken of amongſt the Gentiles for their cauſe; ſo the Lord may juſtly now object to the Chriſtians, that they make his name to be evill ſpoken of amongſt the Iewes.
The ſecond reaſon of hindering their converſion is the Idolatrie of the Chriſtians, when they ſee Images ſet up and worſhipped in their temples,; they call their temples Beth turphan, foreigndomum turpitudinis; and when they ſee the Popiſh prieſts, they call them heatheniſh prieſts, or Camilli. The heathen brought in the abomination of deſolation in the temple,Caſſiodorus in chronico ſuo. of purpoſe to offend the Iewes: So Elias Hadrianus the Emperour, when he built Ieruſalem againe, and called it Elium, that he might offend the Iewes the more, hee ſet in the frontiſpice of the temple a ſow graven out in marbell ſtone.
Laſtly, the Papiſts offend the Iewes, when they paint Moſes, with hornes, as wee ſee him painted ſo in ſome of their Popiſh churches: the reaſon why they paint him ſo, was the miſtaking of the word Keren, which ſignifieth both a horne, and ſplendor, or brightneſſe.