Discourse in College-Hall 27 March 1722, Preface 2 – Letter
THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
THE Converſion of Mr. Monis to Chriſtianity, is an Effect of Divine Grace. The Truth and Reality of his Converſion appears in what is here Exhibited, in that he has notably confuted the Jews, from the Scriptures in the Old-Teſtament, which they pretend to believe. Here is alſo aſſerted and proved, the Deity of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. And that although he is a Man, yet more than a Man. And here alſo is aſſerted and proved the Glorious Myſtery of the Trinity, that that GOD whoſe Name is Jeh…vab is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Theſe are the main Principles whereby Christianity is diſtinguiſhed from Judaiſm & other falſe religions. There will a time come when there ſhall be a General Converſion of the Jewiſh Nation. There have been ſome of that Nation brought home to Chriſt, who have proved Bleſſings to the World. In ſpecial Emanue! Tremelius was ſuch an one, whoſe dying Words were, Vivat Chriſtus, et pereat Barrabas. Let Chriſt Live, and let Barrabas Die. There were Two Jews, viz. John Alexander and Theodore John who joyned themſelves to the German Lutheran Congregation in the City of London. A Learned Man, viz. Dr. Kidder gives an account of Two Handred … lately Converted in the City of Frankford. The Bleſſed Day is coming when all Iſrael ſhall be Saved, as I have Evinced in a Diſcourſe on that Subject, written in the Year 1667, and alſo in my Anſwer to the Reverend Mr. Baxter, and Dr. Lightfoot, printed An… 1695. And the Providence of GOD ſ… Intimate this. The Miraculous manner of GOD's preſerving the Jewiſh Nation is an invincible Proof hereof; for it is an unpreſidented and incomprehenſible thing, that GOD ſhould for Two Thouſand Years preſerve this People, diſperſed among other Nations, without being confounded with them in their Religions and Cuſtoms, as is uſual among all diſperſed People; this clearly Demonſtrates that GOD has preſerved them for ſome great Deſign, which what can it be but their Converſion?
IT is moreover True, that many particular Jews, who have been Converted or rather Perverted to Popery, have after Renoun… their Chriſtianity. There was a Rabbinical Profeſſor at Vienna, who was thought to be Zealous for Chriſtianity, ſo that he Tranſlated Paul's Greek … to the Hebrews into the Hebrew Tongue, who afterwards returned to his Judaiſm.
ALSO comed Otton who after his Converſion writ violently againſt the Synagogue; nevertheleſs this Man Scandalized at the Devotion of his Brethren, Quitted his Profeſſion and Returned to Judaiſm.
MANY other Examples I might mention but I forbear. There is no cauſe to fear that Mr. Monis will Renounce his Chriſtianity, ſince he did embrace it Voluntarily and Gradually, and with much Conſideration, and from Scriptures in the Old-Teſtament.
GOD Grant that he (who is the firſt Jew that ever I knew Converted in New-England) may prove a Bleſſing unto many, and eſpecially to ſome of his own Nation: Which is the Prayer and hearty Deſire of,
Increaſe Mather. Boſton, May 1ſt. 1722.
To my Brethren According to the Fleſh.
Dear and Beloved Brethren,
I Do expect the News of my Embracing the Chriſtian Religion that came to your Ears ſome time ago, has been ſomewhat ſurprizing to you all; and I am afraid you did not think it to be the beſt you ever have heard; If ſo I am very ſorry for it, and hope in the God of Love and Mercy, that He will keep me in my belief, with that Love towards you in particular, and to all Mankind in general, and more eſpecially to thoſe that belong to the houſhold of Faith, as his holy Word has directed me: and have mercy upon you, and in due time take the Vail from before the eyes of your Underſtanding, that ſo you may ſee the veracity of his Chriſt.
ONE thing I would intreat of you, (which in caſe you will be willing to grant unto me, I am in great hopes you love your Souls, and hear that brotherly affection and love towards me, as in duty you are all obliged to; Lev. 19.17, …. Thou ſhalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou ſhalt in any wiſe rebuke thy neighbour, and not ſuffer ſin upon him. Thou ſhalt not avenge not bear any grudge againſt the children of thy people, but thou ſhalt love thy neighbour as thy ſelf: I am the Lord.) viz. To read the following Diſcourſes with attention and without Prejudice (if poſſible) and examine the quotations therein contain'd; and if you find them truly quoted and ſincerely tranſleted (as doubtleſs they are) you will not judge otherwiſe of me, but that my embracing Chriſtianity, was becauſe I was fully perſwaded it is the only Religion wherein I thought I could be ſaved; And not becauſe I bad ſelf ends, neither becauſe I found in any Book of the Old Teſtament any folſhood, or any thing that I diſlike, (which God forbid) But on the contrary, I did it for God's Glory, and becauſe I ſaw in the Writings of the Old Teſtament (which I verily believe and am fully perſwaded to be God's Word) the Prophecies that ſpeak concerning the Meſſiah, viz. of his Birth, i. e. the Place, and from which Seed, Tribe and Family; Of his Growth, i. e. meek and low; Of his Function and Miracles to Preach and Comfort the ſorrowful and afflicted ones, of his Miſſion, a Lawgiver like unto Moſes; of the time and manner of His coming, i. e. in the Second Temple, and in a very low and mean Condition; of his Death and Sufferings, i. e. for our iniquities; and not for himſelf, but made an offering for Sin: And finally, of His Reſurrection, and Aſcenſion, fully accompliſhed in our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt; And likewiſe of His ſetting at the Right Hand of God the Father, and of His being the Son of the Living God from the beginning, Coequal and Coeval with Him from all Eternity, very and Eternal GOD.
Dear Brethren, I can't but think ſome of you are very much troubled at my proceedings, but this I would deſire and heartily beſeech of you, to know and be fully perſwaded, that the Christian Religion (the Proteſtant I mean) is not ſuch a one as you take it to be, but it is the best of all Religions, and ſo far as I know the cleareſt from Superſtitions of any whatſoever.
THE Doctrine of the ever bleſſed Trinity (that you very much ſtumble at) is not an erroneous one (as you thro' a miſtake do apprehend) but a true and certain one, that God has been pleaſed to reveal in his Word, i. e. in the Old Teſtament from the very beginning, (vide, the third Diſcourſe) altho', not with that clearneſs as He did afterwards in the New Teſtament, which I most ſurely and certainly believe to be the Word of God, as well as the Old; becauſe I cannot ſee any ſubstantial reaſon that can be alledged to invalidate the Authority of the New, but the ſame may be brought to deſprove the veracity of the Old; and ſo to the contrary the ſame Reaſons that any Rabby whatſoever may bring to prove the Truth of Moſes's Miracles, and the rest of his Words, the very ſame may be with equal strength improved to evidence the certainty of Chriſt's Wonderful Works and Miſſion.
INDEED if I had declared my ſelf, to be one of the Church of Rome's Communion, I ſhould not Wonder, in caſe I was cenſured by the leaſt of you, becauſe that would be nothing elſe but practically to deny the Law and the Prophets, &c. But ſince I have not (God forbid that I or any of you ſhould,) and my embracing the Proteſtant Religion, I did it not raſhly, but upon mature thoughts and deliberation (as you may ſee by the following Diſcourſes, and more of this Nature that I do deſign to acquaint you with, if God by His moſt holy will and pleaſure, ſhall open the way for it.) I hope you will follow the Advice of our Countryman ELELL, left recorded for your imitation, in the Second Chap. of MASSECHETH AUBOTH, § 4.
Dear Brothren, I am very ſenſible there are a great many places ſcattered up and down in the Talmud Medraſhim, and other Writers, that you can alledge against me, to diſprove my Interpretations of the Prophecies; Therefore to prevent you the trouble of ſaying ſo, I ſay, That I never did (nor ſhall) pretend to quote them as infallible ones, but only to let you know in a more particular manner, and the reſt of the Learned World beſides, that even among the Rabbins of old, there have been ſundry of very great Note, Fame and Authority among you, that understood the places in the Old Teſtament that ſpeak concerning the Meſſiah, even as we Chriſtians do, and that Christianity is not an upſtart Religion, us all of you at this time do falſly ſuppoſe, but as old and ancient as the Bible it ſelf, which is the only true and infallible Rule that we muſt take for our Guide. Iſai. 8.20. To the law and to the teſtimony: if they ſpeak not according to this word, it is becauſe there is no light in them.
AND ſo I Conclude Trusting in the Name of our GOD, that He will Inlighten you in the True Path of Eternal Happineſs, when in … Infinite Goodneſs He ſhall be pleaſed to beſtow the Riches of His Free Grace upon you, which that it may ſo be, is the Earneſt Prayer of,
Your Loving and Affectionate Brother, According to the Fleſh, Judah Monis. Cambridge, May 1ſt. A.D. 1722.