Truth vindicated against all heresies shewing how the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent is distinguished : the woman cloathed with the sun discoverd, she having the moon under her feet : the Old and New Testament made to agree and God's justice and mercy magnified.

XIV. Part of the Christians Mistakes. (Book 14)

NOW since the Roman Apostacy, the Christians have built their Faith on those Parables that Christ spake to put out the Eyes of Israel's Understanding; and also on those mistaken places of Scripture that our Predecessors since Popery have lost the true meaning of, and like∣wise the Christians fancying that all that was said con∣cerning the Remnant and first Churches, and Israel at the restitution of all things, that they now belong to them, and are made good to them in this time, although they find not in them what is there promised; but many vainly imagine through their mistaken Notions, that they are now so secured by Christ's Righteousness, as they cannot finally fall away, and so little regarding the plain words of Christ, as his Sermon on the Mount, Matth. 5. to the eighth Chapter. And also that he laid

down his life for the world, John 3.17. And his gene∣ral Invitation to accept of Salvation, by taking his Yoke upon them, Matth. 11.28,29. And Christ faith, If thou wilt enter into Life, keep the Command∣ments, Matth. 19.17. And in loving God and our Neighbours, hangs all the Law and the Prophets, Matth. 22.4. And is commanded us by Christ and his Apostles, Rom. 2.13. And not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law shall be justified; and it is said, to the Law and to the Testimo∣ny, if they speak not according to this word, it is be∣cause there is no Light in them, Isaiah 8.20. There∣fore St. Peter terms it, a more sure word of prophesie where∣unto ye do well, that ye take heed, as unto a light that shi∣neth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in their hearts, 2 Pet. 1.19. For in the Prophecies is declared the promises of the blessedness in time to come, in which time will be given an inherent perfect righteous∣ness, which is the day Star that will then arise in their hearts, for in time to come is given the eternal life, 1 Tim. 6.19. Now the Bereans were said to be noble, because they searched the Scriptures, to see if those things which were spoken by the Apostles were so or no, Acts 17.11. And the Scriptures then was only the Old Testament, and all the Prophesies were to be fulfilled, and as many of them as has not yet been fulfilled, remains still to be made good, in as much as it is impossible for God to lie, Heb. 6.18. Jer. 31.33,34,35,36,37. Isa. 54.9,10,11. Chap. 62.8. much less forsworn, and Christ saith, Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets, I am not come to destroy but to fulfil; for verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be ful∣filled, Matth. 5.7,18. That is, not till all the great Promises and Prophesies that are written in the Law and the Prophets are fulfilled, both as to the Punishments

and the Glory that should follow, Dan. 7.27. Isaiah 60.21. Which promised Glory could never come to pass, had not the Lord laid down his Life to purchase to himself a glorious Church in time to come, without spot or wrinkle; but that it should be holy and without blemish, Eph. 5.27. Isaiah 60.21. And according∣ly in Isaiah it is declared, and in the Rev. 5.10. For the glorious time will not be till Israel receives the Promises. Now all our mistaken Notions are quite contrary to the Law and the Prophets and therefore not to be re∣ceived by us; and though Christ Abolished the Cere∣monial Law, it was no ways contradictory to the Pro∣phets; for David Typically speaking of Christ, saith, Sacrifice an Offering thou desirest not, then said I, lo I come in the volume of the Book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will O God. Psalm 40.6,7. Christ was that acceptable Sacrifice which only could take away Sin, which the Sacrifices of the Ceremonial Law could not do, and therefore were to be Abolished, Ezek. 20.25. But whereas Christ saith, Matth. 11.13. All the Prophets and the Law Prophesied until John, which was because the Ceremonial Law was then to be Abo∣lished, and then part of the Prophesies was fulfilled in Christ's first coming; but there is other of the Prophe∣sies are still to be fulfilled, which not only foretels the Lord's second coming, but also what will be in time to come, agreeable to which the Lord Revealed to St. John by Revelation. Now though the Gentiles were not commanded the outward Circumcision, yet there is re∣quired of them the inward Circumcision of the Heart, Rom. 2.29. The performance of which has been lit∣tle observed; but unto this Circumcision, Baptism is a Figure, and though we keep the eighth day, or otherwise call'd the first day for our Sabbath, yet this is not re∣pugnant to the Scripture; for when God blessed the Sab∣bath Day, he pronounced the Blessing to the Sabbath

Day, not naming the seventh Day in the Blessing; but in that God said the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; from hence it doth not appear that it should remain so for ever and ever. Which words are added to that which is so to continue, and the eighth Day was the great Day of the Feast, which was like∣wise the Jewish Sabbath, which was a Figure of the great Feast or Sabbath in time to come, unto which their be∣ing Circumcised on the eighth Day doth allude, in which God will Circumcise their Hearts that they shall no more Sin against him by the then Establishing the promised new everlasting Covenant which Crowns Life to the Soul, which Covenant now is but a Covenant of Promise, but when Established, God's People will be all Righte∣ous, and then it is Israel will inherit the Land for ever, Isaiah 60.21. And this God declaring we are bound to believe, in as much as it is imppssible for God to lie, Heb. 6.18. And God never left himself without Wit∣ness to confirm the Truth of his Word, that we might have Ground for Faith; for by that time most of the Elect among the Gentiles were taken off by Death, Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Jews became a scatte∣red People through the World, according as God by the Prophets, and Christ hath declared, and which is to this day evidently known, and that they were thus scat∣tered because of their Sins; this the whole Book of God declares, and themselves acknowledge, and by them the Scriptures of the Old Testament have been more safely preserved all along amongst the Nations, whilst the Nations were deprived of the New Testament by the Pope, and so lost the right apprehension of the meaning of the things therein contained, and likewise the Ordinances spoken of, 1 Cor. 11.2. Which he praises them for keeping them as he delivered them; the which St. Peter foreseeing according as by the Pro∣phet is declared, that the Goats would eat the good

Pastures, and tread the residue with their Feet, and foul the deep Waters, Eze. 34.17,18. Therefore St. Peter terms the Writings of the Prophets a more sure Word of Prophe∣sie, whereunto ye do well to take heed, 2 Pet. 1.19. And the Scriptures declare concerning Israel, first their Rise, their Continuance, their scattering, and there remaining scat∣tered till the Messiah again comes, and there being such a scattered People among us, and through the whole World who acknowledge the Law and Prophets in the truth of these things, it is certainly evident to us and the whole World that the Scriptures are true, and the Word of God; and to confirm the Truth of what God hath there declared, he hath given us a Sign in the Heavens, Signs upon the Earth, and under the Earth, and thro' the World. But for Brevity sake I shall here mention but three, which are evidently known to all. First, That the old World for Sin was drowned, the Rainbow in the Heavens doth witness to the Truth of the Word. Secondly, God declareth that his Anger should set on fire the Foundations of the Mountains, which should burn to the lowest Hell, Deut. 32.22. Which for these many hundred years is come to pass, and also that Hell should enlarge her self, Isaiah 5.14. Which with∣in these few years is wonderfully come to pass by the Rivers of Fire, Pitch and Bitumen which has been sent out thence, the which doth likewise bear witness to the Truth of God's Word, and also Israel's being scattered doth witness to the World the Truth of the same.