442 JEWS OBJECTIONS AGAINST — [EXERC. XVIII.
efficacy of grace than of the pains of the teachers seen in the effects wrought and produced, according to the words of the promise, Jer. xxxi. 34. (6.) In this diffusion of the knowledge of God, there was way made for the union, agreement, and joint consent in worship, of those that should receive it,—for both the partition wall between Jews and Gentiles was removed, and both people did actually coalesce into one body, worshipping God with one lip and shoulder, —and also an holy and plain way of spiritual worship was pre- scribed unto all that did or should embrace the law of the Messiah. (7.) Notwithstanding all that hath been already accomplished, yet there is still room and time left and remaining for the further ac- complishment of these predictions; so that before the close of the kingdom of the Messiah, not one tittle of them shall fall to the ground. And thus also the open event, known to all the world, doth manifest the due and full accomplishment of these promises, making it unquestionable that the Messiah is long since come, and hath fulfilled the work that he was designed of old unto.
19. Neither are the exceptions of the Jews of any force to inva- lidate our application of these promises. Two things they object unto us;—first, The zdolatry that is yet in the world, especially among Christians; secondly, The differences in religion that every- where abound amongst men. For, (1.) We have showed already that these and the like predictions are to have a gradual accom- plishment, not all at once, in every place. It is sufficient that there is an everlasting foundation laid for the destruction of all false wor- ship; which having had a conspicuous and glorious effect in the most eminent nations of the world, sufficient to answer the inten- tion of the prophecy, shall yet further, in the appointed seasons, root out the remainder of all superstition and apostasy from God. (2.) For what concerns Christians themselves, it cannot be denied but that many who are so called have corrupted themselves, and con- tracted the guilt of that horrible iniquity which they charge upon them; but this being the crime and guilt of some certain persons, and not of the whole society of the professors of Christianity, ought not to be objected unto them. And I desire to know by what means the Jews suppose that themselves and the nations of the
. world shall be kept from idolatry and false worship in the days of their Messiah. If it be because their Messiah shall give such a per- fect law, and such full instructions in the mind and will of God, that all men may clearly know their duty, we say that this is already done in the highest degree of perfection that is conceivable, But what if, notwithstanding this, men will follow their own vain rea~ sonings and imaginations, and fall from the rule of their obedience into will-worship and superstition, what remedy have they provided against such backsliding? If they have none, but only the pressing
SECT. 19, 20.] CHRISTIAN RELIGION ANSWERED. 443
upon them their duty to the law, word, and institutions of God, we have the same, and do make use of it to the same end and purpose. If they shall say that their Messiah will kill them and slay them with the sword, we confess that ours is not of that mind; and desire them to take heed, lest, in the room of the holy, humble, merciful King promised to the church, they look for and desire a bloody tyrant, that shall exercise force over the minds of men, and exe- cute their revenge and lusts on those whom they like not. (8.) This apostasy of some professors of Christianity into false worship, ido- latry, and persecution, is foretold obscurely in the writings of the Old Testament itself, but most plainly in those of the Gospel, or revelations made by the Lord Christ unto his apostles concerning the state of the church unto the end of the world; so that from thence no impeachment can arise against our interpretation of the predictions insisted on, which have a perfect coincidence there- withal. (4.) The same is the state of things in reference unto what they object about the variety of religions that are in the world, and the multitude of sects which everywhere spring up; for,—[1.] Al- though de facto there are at this time sundry false religions in the world,;—and amongst them that which is professed by the Jews,— yet de jure they ought not to be, there being but one true religion, sufficiently declared and promulgated unto the children of men; for whereas the Jews and others do wilfully shut their eyes against the light and evidence of truth, the guilt and misery are their own, the Lord Christ having graciously provided and tendered unto them means of better instruction. And, [2.] It is a mistake, that the different opinions and sects that are amongst Christians themselves do constitute different religions; for as they all agree in the worship of the God of Israel by Jesus Christ, the Messiah,—which contains the sum of their religion,—so their profession itself is not to be mea- sured by the doctrines and conceptions of some amongst them, but by the Scripture which they all receive and acknowledge. This is the religion of them all; and it is one and the same amongst all that receive Jesus Christ for their Saviour. That there are such perti- nacious contests about men’s different apprehensions of the mind of God in the word, that they labour to impose their private concep- tions one upon another, is the fault of some men, but which doth not prejudice the oneness of that religion which is taught in the gospel. Upon all which it appears that the promises insisted on have re- ceived a glorious and blessed accomplishment.