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What the Apostle affirmes wee deny not, and therefore wee say not that every family amongst the Jewes, and every Jew of every family, was cast away, was broken off from their Olive. But where∣as the Apostle saith, If the fall of them be the riches of the world, ver. 15. and, As concerning the Gospel they are enemies for your sakes, ver. 28.
and, God hath concluded them all in unbeliefe, ver. 32. These passages wee understand with the Apostle to be meant of all the Tribes, though not of all of every Tribe. I say, with the Apostle, for so generall was the unbeliefe of the Jewes even in St. Paul's time, that chap. 10.1, 2. he saith, Brethren, my hearts desire and prayer to God for Jsrael is, that they may be saved. For I beare them record, that they have a zeale of God, but not according to knowledge. And in the 13. and 14. verses of this chap. he hath these words of them. For I magnify mine Office; if by any meanes I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. Not any one Tribe, but here and there some, (yea but some in all, here and there) amongst the Tribes. And your flying to the former translation of the 32. ver. as to a refuge against the evidence of the last translation, will not serve your turne; seeing the words in the originall are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which are more fully and more fitly rendred by [them all] then by [all] onely. And the [them all] in the 32. ver. must needs have re∣lation to the Jewes onely exprest in the third person by [their, these, and they] in the 30. and 31. verses. And not to the Gentiles exprest in the second person, by [ye, and, your.] And the reason you bring to prove, that the 32. ver. must be extended to Jewes and Gentiles both, to wit, [because the Apostle in the 30. and 31. verses is speak∣ing of both,] is of no force at all, seeing he speakes of the Gentiles as beleevers, and of the Jewes as unbeleevers. And therefore might well say of the Tribes who were then left in unbeliefe, For God hath concluded them all in unbeliefe, that he might have mercy upon all. But of the Gentiles who had then obtained mercy (through the Jewes unbeliefe) he could not affirme this. Neither will the text which you have alledged out of Gal. 3.22. (as parallell to this in the former translation) any thing availe you. For there is a vast difference betwixt these propositions. The Scripture hath concluded all under sin. And, God hath concluded all in unbeliefe. The first is universally, and actually true; seeing all men are sinners; as well beleevers, as unbeleevers. But the last is not universally, and actual∣ly true; seeing all men are not unbeleevers, nor ever were since the first promise of a Saviour. Yea the Apostle saith Gal. 3. that the Scripture hath concluded all under sinne, for this very cause, to wit, that the promise by faith of Iesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve. That is, to them that are not concluded in unbeliefe, albeit they
are concluded under sin. And therfore it must needs be granted, that the 32. ver. Rom. 11. is applyed by the Apostle to some men onely, and not to all; to wit, to the unbeleeving Jewes in opposition to the beleeving Gentiles. And consequently must of necessity too be meant of all the Tribes, none excepted; because it cannot be meant of all Jewes, none excepted. And if this be not evidence enough to make you understand the 32. ver. of the Jews onely, wee have undentable experience to helpe cleare your eye-sight: For tell us, what are the many numerous multitudes of the unbeleeving Jewes disperst at this day amongst the Nations of the Gentiles? are they the Nation of the Jewes, or are they not? If they are, then were all the Tribes concluded in unbeliefe; if they are not, then tell us what Tribe, or Tribes are wanting, that fell not, or continued not in unbeleife with the rest. For surely in the opinion of great Divines the Holy Ghost hath reckoned up by St. John Rev. 7. all the Tribes as re∣maining, and to be converted, not long before the destruction of the Beast and false Prophet. And therefore it is somewhat hard to conceive, how a man of such understanding as you conceite your selfe to have, could notwithstanding so much evidence of Scripture and experience condemne this conclusion. Therefore it cannot possi∣bly be maintained, that the Jewes and Gentiles are as yet one sheep∣fold. And as for the fallacy of consequence, let the reader judge, whether it be on our part, who say, that the Jewes and Gentiles shall not be united into one Church, until the whole Nation of the Jewes be converted, and the foresaid prophecies accomplished: or on yours, who granting, that these prophecies doe foreshew their uniting, doe affirme that they are already thus united, although not one of these prophecies be fulfilled, nor any one Tribe conver∣ted. But to prove that the Jewes and Gentiles are united into one Church, you alledge [Ephe. 2. ver. 11. &c. Remember that yee being in times past Gentiles in the flesh—that at that time yee were without Christ—but now are made nigh by the blood of Christ—who hath made both one, and broken downe the midwall of partition betweene us—for to make in himselfe one new man.] And is St. Paul then contrary to himselfe? what? would he have wisht himselfe accursed from Christ for his brethren, his Kinsmen according to the flesh, Rom. 9. ver. 3.? or would he have said, that going about to establish their owne righte∣ousnesse,
they had not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God. chap. 1. v. 3. or Even so have these also now not beleeved, that through your mercy they also may obtaine mercie, chap. 11. ver. 31. would he have said all this of the Jewes (and much more to this purpose) if the Jewes and Gentiles had then equally embrac't the Gospel? if the Tribes had been alreadie one bodie, or then likely to become one bodie with the believing Gentiles? doubtlesse he would not. And therefore, First I may say, that these words [who hath made both one] are to be referr'd to the meriting cause or purchase of their union alreadie wrought on Christ's part, by the shedding of his blood for them: and not to the actuall accomplishing of this purchased union in them; which was to be performed in the time fore-appointed by God for it. For as in the 6. ver. of this chapter, where the Apostle saith likewise in the pretertense. And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. The words could not be meant de facto, of the actuall pos∣sessing of these heavenly places by the Saints then on earth: but de jure, of their right unto them by Faith in Christ, in like manner he might say, that Christ had made the Jewes and Gentiles [one] by purchasing their union, by paying the price of their reconcili∣ation with God, and amongst themselves, although it were not to be fulfill'd by an actuall dispensation of it unto them, untill the fulnesse both of the Jewes and Gentiles should come in, as it is Rom. 11. ver. 12.25. Or secondly, I may say (as you your selfe deter∣mine of the union betwixt the two people in your answer to my next words) that the union the Apostle here speakes of, is not to be understood of an actuall union betwixt the Jewes and Gentiles then living: but of an actuall union betwixt the Church of the Gentiles then begun under the New Testament, and the Church of the Jewes formerly gathered under the Old Testament, (both which were to make one new man, that is, that one glorified As∣sembly and mysticall bodie of Saints which shall come with Christ their head at his next appearing. Whereas the union which wee treat of, and which is fore-shew'd by the preceding Prophecies, is to be of all Nations on earth in one visible Church. And thirdly as I say not, that all the Jewes, but all the Tribes were concluded in unbeliefe, so I denie not that the first fruits of the Jewes under the Gospel are joyned unto the Church of the Gentiles; but I de∣nie
that this is such an uniting of the Jewes and Gentiles as the pre∣ceding Prophecies doe reveale, or that it is any more an uniting of them into one Church, then the calling of the believing Gen∣tiles before Christs comming, was an uniting of the Jewes and Gen∣tiles into one Church, and therefore I thus retort your following Argument against your selfe. Who will denie, that the believing Gentiles living amongst the Jewes before Christs comming (yea before the foresaid Prophets dayes) were members of the same bodie and Church universall, whereof Abraham, Jacob, David and others, were members also? then therefore (by this Argument) even then the Jewes and Gentiles were one fold.