Jews in America, Title page – Table of contents
Ievves in America, OR, PROBABILITIES That the AMERICANS are of that Race.
With the removall of ſome contrary reaſonings, and earneſt deſires for effectuall endeavours to make them Chriſtian.
Propoſed by THO: THOROVVGOOD, B. D. one of the Aſſembly of Divines.
CANT. 8. 8. We have a little ſiſter, and ſhe hath no breaſts, what ſhall we doe for our ſiſter in the day when ſhe ſhall be ſpoken for?
MAT. 8. 11. Many ſhall come from the Eaſt, and from the Weſt, and ſhall ſit downe with Abraham, and Iſaac, and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven.
Aethiopes vertuntur in filios Dei, ſi egerint paenitentiam, & filii Dei tranſeunt in Aethiopes ſi in profundum venerint peccatorum: Hieronym. in Eſai,
London, Printed by W. H. for Tho. Slater, and are be to ſold at his ſhop at the ſigne of the Angel in Duck lane, 1650.
TO THE HONOVRABLE Knights and Gentlemen that have reſidence in, and relation to the County of Norfolk, Peace, from the God of Peace.
WHen the glad tidings of the Goſpels ſounding in America by the preaching of the Engliſh arrived hither, my ſoule alſo rejoyced within me, and I remembred certaine papers that had been laid aſide a long time, upon review of them, and ſome additions to them, they were privately communicated unto ſuch as perſwaded earneſtly they might behold further light; being thus finiſhed, and licenced alſo to walke abroad, as they were ſtepping forth, that incivility charged upon Chryſippus occurred, that he dedicated D. Laert. p. 381.not his writings to any King or Patron, which cuſtome preſently ſeemed not onelyonly lawfull, but as ancient as thoſe Scriptures where Saint Luke in the hiſtory of the Acts of the Apoſtles applies himſelfe to Theophilus, Act. 1. 1. And Saint Iohn to the Elect Lady, ſo named, D. Heins. in 2. Jo.ſome thinke, or for her graces ſo entituled, I was eaſily induced to follow this faſhion, and my thoughts ſoone reflected upon you, Who are foreign, as well as foreign, lovers of God, and choice men of your Countrey. I may be cenſured for this high, generall, and ambitious dedication; but I doe freely publiſh my own utter unworthineſſe: tis true, my reſpects and love be very much to you all, and my native ſoile, yet in this I doe not drive any private deſigne, I looke beyond my ſelfe, at your honour, the honour of the Nation, yea the glory of God, and the ſoule-good of many millions that are yet in darkeneſſe and out of Chriſt; By you is the following tract communicated to the world, I wiſh, and pray, that the deſigne beſpoken in it may be cordially furthered by you, and all that read or heare thereof; tis like you will finde in the probabilities ſo many Iudaicall reſemblances in America, that as it was ſaid of old, foreign Heſych. φforeign, either Plato writes like Philo the Iew, or Philo is become Platonicke; ſo the Jewes did Indianize, or the Indians doe Judaize, for ſurely they are alike in many, very many remarkable particulars, and if they bee Iewes, they muſt not for that be neglected; viſible comments indeed they are of that diſmall Text, Thou ſhalt become an aſtoniſhment, a proverbe, and a by-word to all Nations, &c. Deut. 20. 37. and ſo they are every where to this day: what more reproachfull obloquy is there among men, then this, Thou art a Jew? Oh the bitter fruits of diſobedience; and tis high time for us Gentiles to lay up that example, in the midſt of our hearts, Pro. 4. 21. remembring alwaies, becauſe of unbeliefe they were broken off, and, if God ſpared not the naturall branches, take heed leſt hee ſpare not thee. Rom. 11. 21. It was a ſuddaine ſentence, Tam viles inter Chriſtianos Iudaei, ut inter mundum Io. Maj. Hiſt. Scot. l. 4. c. 9.triticum mures, Jewes are as bad and vile among Chriſtians, as Mice in cleane wheate; for glorious were their privileges, and we have a ſhare in ſome of them, that laſt eſpecially—of whom concerning the fleſh Chriſt came, who is God over all, bleſsed for ever, Rom. 9. 4, 5. and for another thing they have highly merited our regard—To them were commited the Oracles of God, Rom. 3. 9. The holy Scriptures were concredited to them, and they have faithfully preſerved them for us, and conveyed them to us: Former times indeed found cauſe to exterminate them theſe dominions, I ſay nothing for ſuch their reintroduction, which muſt be with ſacred and civill cautions, that the ſvveet name of our deareſt Lord be not blaſphemed, nor the Natives robbed of their rights, but when will Chriſtians in earneſt endeavour their converſion, if the name of Jevv muſt be odious everlaſtingly? I ſpeak for their Goſpelizing, though ſome ſuſpect they are never likely to come again under that covenant, as if the Liber repudii, the bill of divorce mentioned Sixt. Sen. Bib. S. l. 2. R. p. 97. Wollet. Comp. Theol. p. 197.by the Prophet did put them away from God for ever, Eſa. 50. 1. as if they ſhould return to their Spouſe no more, but that there is for them a time of love, and that they ſhall be grafted in, Rom. 11. 23. is manifeſted afterwards upon Part. 1.Scripture grounds; and if the period of their wandering be upon its determination, and their recovery approching, how may wee rejoyce in the returne of that Prodigall? It is meet that wee ſhould make merry and be glad, for our brother that was dead is reviving againe, Luk. 15. 32. How ſhould wee beg for them that God would poure upon them the ſpirit of grace and ſupplication, that they may looke upon him whom they have pierced, and mourne for him as one mourneth for his onelyonly ſonne. Zach. 12. 10. Or if the loſt Tribes are not to be found in America, of whatſoever deſcent and origination the poore Natives be, if they finde the Lord Chriſt, and the Nov-angles be the Wiſemen guiding them unto their peace, great cauſe ſhall wee have to lift up the high praiſes of our God in ſpirituall exultation; how ſhould wee caſt our mite into this treaſury, yea our Talent, our Talents, if wee have them? for certainely the time is comming, That as there is one Shepherd, there ſhall be one Sheepfold. Io. 10. 16. It is true, our owne Countrey in many reſpects ſtands in need of helpe, wee are fallen into the laſt and worſt times, the old age of the world, full of dangerous and ſinnefull diſeaſes, Iniquity is encreaſed, and if ever, if to any people, the ſaying of that Torrent of Tullian eloquence (ſo Ierome calls Lactantius) T. 1. Ep. p. 105.be applicable, it is to poore England, that is not onelyonly in the gall of bitterneſſe, but in the very dregs of error and ungodlineſſe, Ideo mala omnia rebus humanis ingraveſcunt, quia Deus hujus mundi effector ac gubernator derelictus eſt, quia ſuſceptaeſunt, contra quam fas eſt impiae lib. 5. c. 8.religiones, poſtremo quia ne coli quidem vel à paucis Deus ſinitur. But, O my ſoule, if thou be wiſe, be wiſe for thy ſelfe, Pro. 9. 12. and give mee leave to ſay to you as Moſes to his Iſraell, OnelyOnly take heed to your ſelves, and keepe your ſoules diligently, Deut. 4. 9. make your calling and election ſure, 2 Pet. 1. 10. and becauſe you are the children of faithfull Abraham, command your children and families that they walke in the waies of the Lord, Gen. 18. 9. and let who will ſerve themſelves, follow lying vanities, and ſet up their owne luſts; let every one of us ſay and do as Ioſhua, I and my houſe will ſerve the Lord, Joſh. 24. 15. And not onelyonly ſerve the Lord with and in our houſholds, but in furthering the common good of others, and tis conſiderable God is pleaſed to owne publique intereſts, though in civill things with the Nehem 3. 5. 2 Sam. 20 19.name of his owne inheritance. But this is the ſinne, this is the miſery of theſe times, All ſeek their owne, not the things of Ieſus Chriſt. Even Phil. 2. 21.regulated charity may beginne at home, it may not, it muſt not end there, it is the onelyonly grace that is ſowne on earth, it growes up to heaven and continues there, it goes with us thither, and there abides to all eternity, and tis therefore foreign, greater then faith and hope, 1 Cor. 13. laſt.not from continuance onelyonly, but its extenſiveneſſe, it delights to be communicative, it reacheth an hand of helpe one way or other to every one that needs, though at never ſo great a diſtance; after the cloven tongues as of fire had warmed the affections of the holy Act. 2. 1.Apoſtles, they had ſo much love to ſoules that they forgat their fathers houſe, diſcipled all Nations, and preached the Goſpel to every creature, Their line went through all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world, that former Pſa. 19. 4.known world, the ſame ſpirit hath warmed the hearts of our Countreymen, and they are buſie at the ſame worke in the other, the new-found world; For behold a white horſe Revel. 6. 2.and he that ſate on him had a bow, and a Crown was given unto him, and hee went forth conquering, and to conquer; ſo the Lord Chriſt ſhall be light to that world alſo, and Gods ſalvation to the ends Eſa. 49. 6.of the earth. Britain hath woon the Goſpel-glory from all other Countries, not onelyonly imbracing it with the formoſt, as old Gildas teſtifieth, De excid. Brit.but it was the firſt of all the Provinces that eſtabliſhed Chriſtianity by a law ſaith Sabellicus, our Lucius was the firſt Chriſtian In Bal. Cent. p. 23.King that Annales make mention of, and venerable Bede out of Eutropius declareth that Hiſt. l. 1. c. 8.Conſtantine the firſt Chriſtian Emperour, was created to that dignity in this Iſland, & Sozom. l. 9. c. 11. ſaith that ſo were Marcus & Gratian alſo; But Conſtantine brought further honour to the Nation & Religion: For the Saxon Bede, and Ponticus Virunnius affirme expreſly, that p. 25.Conſtantine was born in Britaine; after this, ingemuit orbis videns ſe totum Romanum, All the world wondred after the Beaſt, & groaned under the Papall Rev. 13. 3.ſervitude, and our K. Henry the eight was the firſt of all the Princes who brake that yoke of Antichriſt: but neerer yet to our purpoſe; The Inhabitants of the firſt England, ſo Verſtegan C. 5. 123.calls that part of Germany whence our Anceſtors came hither with the Saxons and Iutes, derive their Chriſtianity from Iewry, Ad nos doctrina de terra Iudaeorum per ſanctos Apoſtolos, qui docebant gentes, pervenit, as that great linguiſt, Not. in Bed. Hiſt. p. 257.learned, and laborious Mr Wheelocke hath obſerved, and tranſlated out of the old Saxon Homilies, tis but juſt therefore lege talionis, that we repay what we borrowed, and endeavour their converſion who firſt acquainted us with the eternall Goſpell, and if it be probable that providence honoured this Nation with the prime diſcovery of that New World, Par…. 3.as is intimated hereafter, it is true without all controverſie, that from this ſecond England God hath ſo diſpoſed the hearts of many in the third, New England, that they have done more in theſe laſt few yeares towards their converſion, then hath been effected by all other Nations and people that have planted there ſince they were firſt known to the habitable world, as if that Propheſie were now in its fulfilling; Behold, I will doe a new thing, now it ſhall ſpring forth ſhall ye not know it? I will even make a way in Eſa. 43. 19.the Wildernes and rivers in the deſart, &c. When K. Theodoric. Theodob…rt, Clotharius, Qu. Brunechild of France, and to Aldibert and Aldiberga of England. Concil. p. 71.our Anceſtors lay alſo in darkeneſſe and the ſhadow of death, Gregory wrote divers Epiſtles to ſeverall Noblemen and Biſhops, yea and to ſome Kings and Queenes of France and England, theſe Sir H. Spelman that famous Antiquary, your noble Countreyman, and of alliance to divers of you, calls epiſtolas Britannicas, which are alſo mentioned afterwards; in theſe he gives God thankes for their forwardneſſe to further the worke of grace, and deſires earneſtly the continuance of their bountifull and exemplary encouragement of ſuch as were zealouſly employed in that Soule-worke, and that is one of the two buſineſſes entended in the following diſcourſe, which begs your asſiſtance in your Spheres, and cordiall concurrence to promote a deſigne of ſo much glory to the Lord of glory. This is no new notion, or motion, all the royall Charters required the Goſpellizing of the Natives; and in the beginning of this Parliament there was an Ordinance of Lords and Commons appointing a Committee of both, and their worke was, among other things, to advance the true Proteſtant Religion in America, and to ſpread the Goſpell among the Natives there; and ſince, very lately, there is an Act for the promoting and propagating the Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt in New-England. I wiſh proſperity to all the Plantations, but thoſe of New-England deſerve from hence more then ordinary favour; becauſe, as by an Edict at Wincheſter, about Holinſh. Chro. part. 1. p. 15.eighth hundred yeeres ſince, King Ecbert commanded this Country ſhould be called Angles-land, ſo theſe your Countreymen of their owne accord, and alone, were, and are, ambitious to retain the name of their owne Nation; beſides, this England had once an Heptarchate, Kent, Mercia, Weſt-Saxons, Northumberland, Eaſt-Angles, Eaſt-Saxons, South-Saxons.and then your Countrey was the chiefe of that Kingdome called Anglia Orientalis, and theſe are the neereſt of all the ſeven to you in name, Nov-angles, Eaſt-angles; I pray that you would be neareſt and moſt helpefull to them in this moſt Chriſtian and Goſpel-like deſigne, which I leave with you, and two or three Petitions at the throne of grace for you; one is that of Moſes, Yee ſhall not doe after all the Deut. 12 8.things that wee do heare this day, every man whatſoever is right in his owne eyes, but that ye walk by rule and not by example; this is an age much enclining to Enthouſiaſmes and Revelations; men pretend to externall and inward impulſes, but wee muſt remember, though wee had a voice from heaven, yet having the Scriptures wee have foreign a more ſure Propheticall word, whereunto yee doe well that yee take heed, as unto a light, that ſhineth 2 Pet. 1. 19.in a darke place, untill the day dawne, and the day ſtarre ariſe in your hearts; here is a compariſon, even with an heavenly voice, which muſt vaile and ſubmit to the written word, becauſe poore mankind may eaſily be deluded by him, who among his many other wiles and depths can transform himſelf into an Angel of light. Againe, 2 Cor. 11. 14.my prayer for you is, that in the wofull concuſsions and commotions of theſe daies, your ſelves may ſtand firme and unmoveable: You have ſeene the waters troubled, and the Mountaines ſhaken with the ſwelling thereof, Pſal. 46. 3.Oh, that you may ſay, in and with holy Davids ſenſe, though an hoſt ſhould encampe againſt me, my heart ſhall not feare, though warre ſhould riſe up againſt me, in this will I be confident; this? Pſal. 27. 3.and what is it, but ver. 1. The Lord is my light and my ſalvation, whom ſhall I feare, the Lord is the ſtrength of my life, of whom ſhall I be afraid; even heathens have ſaid much and done much towards that foreign, magnanimity and patience, but Chriſtians have an higher proſpect, they looke above the terrors of men, and they doe not feare their feare; for as Stephen through … 8. 12.a ſhowre of ſtones, they can ſee the heavens open and the Sonne of man ſitting at the right hand of Act. 7. 56.God; nihil crus ſentit in nervo, ſi animus ſit in Tertull.caelo, they are not ſo much affected with what they feele, as with that they believe, becauſe we walk by faith and not by ſight.2 Cor. 5. 7.
And oh, that theſe ſtrange mutations may perſwade us all, all the daies of our appointed Job. 14. 14.time to waite, untill our change come, even that change which never, never can again be changed; theſe are the laſt times and yet a little 1 Joh. 2. 18. Heb. 10. 37.while, yea foreign, yet a little, little while, and hee that ſhall come will come, and will not tarry, his fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floore, and gather the wheate into the garner, but Mat. 3. 12.will burne up the chaffe with unquenchable fire. The Pſal. 1. 5.ungodly ſhall not ſtand in the judgement, for all faces ſhall then be unmasked, and every vizard ſhall be plucked off, The Lord will then 1 Cor. 4. 5.bring to light the hidden things of darkneſſe, and will make manifeſt the counſels of the heart, and then every one that hath done well, ſhall have praiſe of God. The Lord God of our mercies fit you for his appointment, ſtabliſh you in every 2 Theſ. 2. 17. 3. 3.good word and worke, and keepe you from evill, that you may give up your account with joy, and not Heb. 13. 17.with griefe; and now I commend you all, and all that love that appearing of our Lord, unto the Tim. 4. 8.word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them that Act. 20. 32.are ſanctified; ſuch is the ſerious and unfaigned devotion for you, of him who willingly ſubſcribes himſelfe,
Your moſt humble ſervant in our deareſt Lord, THO: THOROWGOOD.
JEWES IN AMERICA, OR Probabilities that the Americans be Jewes: From
Part. 1.
Six ſeverall conjectures.
Generall Introduction. Chap. 1.
1. Conjecture. Their own acknowledgement. Ch. 2.
2. Rites and cuſtomes in both alike, Common ceremonies ſuch, Chap. 3. and ſolemn. Ch. 4.
3. Their words and manner of ſpeech, as the Iewes, Chap. 5.
4. Their man-devouring. Ch. 6.
5. They have not yet been Goſpellized. Ch. 7.
6. Their calamicies, as 28. Deut. Ch. 8.
Part 2.
Some contrary reaſonings removed.
1. In the Generall. Ch. 1.
2. Particularly, How,
1. The Jewes ſhould get into America. Chap. 1.
2. So few empeople that great part of the world. Ch. 3.
3. Become ſo predigiouſly barbarous. Chap. 4.
Part. 3.
Earneſt deſires for hearty endeavours to make them Chriſtian.
1. To the Planters.
1. Cauſe of their removall. Chap. 1.
2. Hope of the Natives Converſion. Chap 2.
3. Directions to it. Chap. 3.
4. Cautions about it. Chap. 4.
2. To the Engliſh there.
1. In behalfe of the Planters, aſperſions wiped off. Chap. 5. & 6.
2. Towards the Natives converſion.
1. Motives. Chap. 7.
2. Helps. Chap. 8.
3. Encouragements from our Countrymens pious endeavours there. Ch. 9.
4. And the ſucceſſe thereof upon the Indians. Ch. 10.