Oj the JewsLmv M to otbers. Were they the only Vijible Clmrch ~ Q!efl:. 15 6. Mttft we belie~e tl>at Mo[es Law did e1Jer bind otber Nations ; or that · any other parts of the Scripture bound them, or belonged to them ? or that t/;e Jews were all Gods P'ifible Cburcl1 011 Eart/; ? Anftv. I Conjoyn tht..fc rhree Q£eftions for difp1tch. I. r. Some of the M.Jtltr of Mo[es Law did Rem. -z., b:nd all N.l.tions, thar 1s, The Law ot nature as fuch. 2. Thofc that lud the k.!row!edge of Rom.L2o,1.r, the Jewifh Law, wen! bound collaterally to believe and obey all the u.:pojitiv111 of tbe L.uv of 1 uture in Er:od. 12. !9, ir and all the Laws, which were given upon reafimJ common to all the world ( As abou[ degrees ofMar:. 43, 48, 49. 1 i~gr, pnticu1ar rules of ]ofiice, &c.) As if I heard God from Heaven tell another that tt.mdeth by t:.0;71_~~~~~. me, [ Tho~ej1Nlt not m.1rry thy f,;thers fYidow ;for it HabomiJz.a:b/c.J l ought ro apply that to me, bei11g & r8. :u>. his lubjtd which is fjJokc:n to another on a-common reafon. & 1.4. 16,u. 3· All thofe Genrilcs that would be profelytu, and joyn with the Jews in their prJlicy, and NJmb. 9· 14· dv;cU among them,_ were bour.d to b~ obfcrv_Lrs of their ~•ws. But I• The L1w of Na- ~.1!9:~~.5' 1 we as M,if"J;c.:Jt d1d not formdUy and dtreU!y bmd 01her N.tram~. 2. N,)t were they bound ro & 19 . 10• 'the Laws of thdr peculiar policy, Civil or Eccldicfiical, which were poficivcs. The rcafon is, Dcur~ r.r6! 1 • Bt'clufe they were all one body of Political Laws~ given p:culinly to one political body. Even the D(caloguc it fclf w•s to them apolitical Law, 2· Becau[e Nlv{es was nor aud10riz::d or fC1H to be the Med ioltOr or Jdivtrn of that L1w to any Nation but the J:ws. And being never in the emCbng or l'romulgation fmt or dirtdcd to che reH of the World, it could not bind thun. I I. As to th~ fccond QJeflion, Though the Scripture as a writi~g bound not all the World, yet, . r. Tht L1wof Nlture as ri.tch .which is recorded in Scripture did bind all. 2. The Covenant of Pfal. i4~. 9. Grace was made with all mankind in Adam and Not : And they were bound ro promulgate it by & to~. 19, Tradition to all their offfpring: And no doubt[., they did ; .whether by word (as all did) or by Pf:1l. Ieo. 1 • writing alfo (as it's like lOu:'c did, as _Henochs Prophefies we~c it's like ddi~crcd, or tlfe t~ey had itt;~;·,~~· not in urms been preferved ull Judes wneJ) 3• And Gad h1mfdf as aford:ud by actual provtdcnces~ )ud. 14 • q , pardoning, and benefits given to them that defervcd hell, did in part promulgate it himfdf. 4· The neighbour Nations might learn much by Gods doctrine and dealing with the Jews. 11 I. To the third ~cfiion, I anfwcr, r. The Jews were a people chofen by God out of all tl>e Deur. r 4 • '•l• Nations of the Earth, to be a holy Nuion, aod"his peculiar trcafure, having a peculiar Divine Law & 7. :.. 6, 7, and Covenant, and many great -privilcdges, to which the reO: of the World were firangers ; fo thac Exod. 1 9· 5· they were advanced above all pther Kingdoms of the world, tho~gh not in weahh nor worldly power, ~e~:1.~·.:;,1.6. nor largenefs of Dominion, yet jQ a. fpecial d-earnefs unto God. · · Deur. 4 . :.o,33• 2· But they were not the only people to whom God made a.Cbven:mr of Grace in Ad.1m and Noc' & ::.9. r3. as diflinCl: from the Law or Caytnant of lnnocency. '· ".1 ~ 33. 29· ·3· Nor were they the only people that profdfed to Worf11ip the rrue God ; ncirher was holincfs om. J.I)1.,~. and [alvarion confined to them ; but were found in otMer N1tions. Thercfo.t.c though we have bur little notice of the fbtc of other Kingdoms in their times, andfcarcely know what N.nional Churches, that is, whole Nations profdTing faving faith, there were, yet we may wdl conclude that there were otbcr vifiblc ClmrdJC.r belidcs the Jews. For, t. No ScriptuJe dcnycth ir: and chaliry then mutt hop:: the beO. 2. The Scriptures of the Old Tcl\.a.mcnt give us fmaH account of other Coumrcys, but of the Jews alone, with fqme of their Ncighbolfrs. 3· Scm was alive in Abraliams dayes ( yea about 34 years afrer Abraham.r death and within 12 years of If'nuels death, viz. till about An. Mundi 2 r s8.) And fo t;reat and b!tffcd a man .as S2m, cannor he t'hought to be kfs than a Kiog) and to have a Kingdom governed according to his holinefs; and fo that there was with him not only a Church~ but ,a.Nu'10nal Church, or holy Kingdom. 4• And Mclcbiz~dcck., WJS a holy King and Pric.fi; and therefore had a Kingdom holily governed ; and therefore not only a vitibk, but alfo a N.Hional Church ( fuppoling that he was not Sem, as the Jews and Broughto11, &r.. think; For the fciruation of his Coumrcy doth make:: many defert that opinion ). 5· And Job and his friends !hew that there were Churches then bdides the Jews. 6. And it is not to be thought that all Ifm~etJ poHerity fuddenly apoflarizcd. 7· Nor chat Efau's pofierity had no Church fl:atc; (for both ret;,rined Circumcifion ). 8. Nor is it iike that Abrah.zms off·fpring by Ketur.JIJ were all apofiates, being once inchurchcd. For though the fp;cial promife was made to lfaac~s feed, as th~ peculiar holy Narion, &c. yet not as the only Children .of God, or yerfons in a fiate of falvatign. 9· And the patT..1ges in Jonah about Ninit·e r . h. give: us fame fuch intimation~ alfi:,. IO• And J apbct an~ his fttd be in~ undt:r a. fpcCial bldli11g, it is i~11sp:"iJ: J;;-'~ not-like that they all p1·oved Apoflates. And What was m all other Kmgdoms of the World is little their m,.n known to us. · prero<>atives We mufl therefore ukc heed of concluding ( as the rroud Jews were at \all 2pt to doof rhcmfelves) whicho ~aulfo thlt becauf:: they were a chofcn NAtion priviledged above all _others, that tht:refOrc the Redeemer :Ch~~!~~~~rundcr rhc L1wof Gr<~ce made to Ad:mz, had no other Churches Hl the World, and thlt there were none Epillles to fav(d but rhe J~ws and profelytes. pull do"ft'n. ~eft.
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