ye are not ignorant with what solemn professions and vows men are admitted and received into the Church of Christ yet that ye may know what further satisfaction to the Christian world is justly expected from them who live so long in obstinacy and infidelity I will here add that Renunciation of my former errours and that profession of my belief which I made in the presence of divers honourable persons and a great multitude of witnesses according to the questions proposed unto me immediately before my Baptism Q. What is your desire A. I desire to be admitted into the Communion of the Catholick Church of Christ by the holy ordinance of Baptism that I may live under the Government and may enjoy the blessings and priviledges of the kingdom of God for my Comfort in this world and my Salvation in the world to come Q. Do you sincerely acknowledge as you hope for the mercy of God at the day of judgement that the Lord Jesus in whom the Christians believe is the eternal Son of God the true Messias and Saviour of the world and that no other Messias is to be looked for A. Yes as I hope for mercy from God whom I desire to deal with me in this world and that to come as I heartily believe it Q. What arguments perswaded you to this belief A. The Prophecies mentioned in the old Testament concerning the Messias and fulfilled in the person of our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ The Miracles wrought by him and his Disciples The holiness of his life his purity and humility The excellency of his doctrine The miseries in which the Jewish nation hath been involved these 1600. years for crucifying the Lord Jesus and rejecting his Law Q. Do you renounce the errours of Judaism and with all your heart embrace the doctrine of Christianity A. Yes verily Q. Have you a firm resolution to conform your life and manners to the purity and holiness of that rule which the Catholick Church observes A. I will do so by the help of our Lord Jesus Christ Q. Will you be received into the Covenant of the Gospel and be consecrated to the observance of it by the holy water of Baptism A. That is my most earnest desire Q. What benefit do you expect from this Baptism A. To be purged from my sins in the blood of Christ by which he hath appeased the anger of God To be justified by his righteousness To be reconciled unto God by his mediation and intercession To be cleansed from the guilt both of original and actual transgression and obtain the grace of Regeneration to destroy the power of sin and enable me to live in righteousness and true holiness that I may be a member of the mystical body of Christ which is his Church and that I may be a childe of God and an heir of the kingdom of heaven Q. Upon what terms do you expect these graces and benefits A. Upon the terms of true repentance for all my sins past of a living faith and universal obedience to the commandments of Christ Q. Are you heartily sorry for your sins and trespasses and for the errours and obstinacy of your nation whereby they approve the malice of their forefathers and are guilty of the death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ A. Yes verily I am truly sensible of their sins and my own and am heartily sorry for them Q. Dost thou renounce the Devil and all his works the vain pomp and glory of the world with all covetous desires of the same and the carnal desires of the flesh so that thou wilt not follow nor be ed by them A. I renounce them all Q. Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of heaven and earth And in Jesus Christ his onely begotten Son our Lord And that he was conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary that he suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried that he went down into Hell and also did rise again the third day that he ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty and from thence shall come again at the end of the world to judge the quick and the dead And doest thou believe the holy Ghost the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the remission of sins the Resurrection of the flesh and everlasting life after death A. All this I stedfastly believe Q. Wilt thou be baptized in this Faith A. That is my desire Q. Wilt thou then obediently keep Gods holy will and Commandments and walk in the same all the dayes of thy life A. I will endeavour so to do God being my helper After these answers I was received to the holy Sacrament of Baptism and the promise made to our forefathers was by divine grace fulfilled in me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then will I Sprinkle clean water upon you Ezek. 36. v. 26. and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you FINIS Paul Colend Scialitti This solemnity was performed June 14. 1663. on the Feast of the Blessed Trinity at St. Margarets Westminster by the Reverend Dr. Warmestre Dean of Worcester And the Right Reverend Father in God George Lord Bishop of Chester and Samuel Collins Dr. in Physick were Godfathers and the right honourable the Countess of Huntingdon was Godmother Imprimatur Ex Aed Sabaud Junii 18. 1663. Geor. Stradling S. T. P. Rever in Christo Pat. D. Gilbert Episc Lond. à sac Domestic
A LETTER Written to the JEWES By Rabbi Moses Scialitti A JEW of FLORENCE Baptized June 14. 1663. Declaring the Reasons of his Conversion and exhorting them to embrace the CHRISTIAN FAITH LONDON Printed 1663. BRETHREN THE grace of God the Father the love of his only begotten Son Redeemer of the world and the influence of the Holy Ghost which hath enlightned my understanding and mollified the hardness and obstinacy of my heart and brought me to the truth of the Holy Gospel and lively Faith in Jesus Christ our blessed Saviour The same love the same grace and the same lively Faith in Christ I so much the more desire by you by how much the more I see my self come out of darkness into light from lies to the truth from the dreadful wrath of God which hangeth over the heads of unbelievers to the true and eternal enjoyment promised to the faithful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If ye shall be willing and obedient Isa 1.19 20. ye shall eat of the good of the land and if ye shall refuse rebel ye shall be devoured with the sword Open therefore the eyes of your understanding my brethren and imbrace own and believe in this Christ the true Messiah the true and only Son of the Eternal Father true God become man only to satisfy his justice for mankind the true cause of our salvation and lest ye should believe that this resolution made by me through the grace of God and his only Son Jesus Christ whose Faith I imbrace were a meer madness or fancy or a vain resolution either out of despair covetousness ambition or to procure unto me the favour of some great Prince truly no 't is a meer motive of truth so much the more clear by how much the sun is above darkness the light above obscurity and I tell you that I find my self in this Truth so satisfied as if I were return'd from death unto life The which I shall prove unto you my Brethren not only by the Faith which I have in Jesus Christ not only by the Law of love and life of promise which he hath lest unto us the which makes manifest unto all the world that it can not be but a divine Law but so purely and so clearly I promise to demonstrate it unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Law of Moses by the Prophets and by the words of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Rabbies that I am certain that ye shall not be able to forbear confessing him unless by the hardness of your hearts ye be hindred pray therefore unto God that he grant ye that which he hath promised by the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh Ezek. 36.26 27. and I will give to you an heart of flesh c. and cause you to walk in my statutes c. to the end that ye may understand and apply your selves unto the light brought unto you by me with evident reasons and I hope in this my good Christ the true comfort of my soul he will give me his grace that my words may prove effectual in you for I know ye shall not be able to answer neither will ye have any starting hole to step or fly from the arguments which I shall alledge unto you which shall be grounded all of them on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law of Moses as aforesaid or by Rabinical Texts unto which ye give so much credit that ye say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who shall not observe their words deserves death let us come then to the point The knowledge which from the Prophecies is discovered of the coming and Faith of Christ would require much time and place to explain them by reason of the difficulty of the matter therefore we will touch only some part deferring the enlargement to the Book which I am making of the Exaltation of the Faith of Christ in the Religion of the Catholick Church by the proper place of the Rabbies and Caballists first I will prove to you how the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Law of Moses was to have an end and not be eternal and this I prove unto you out of Deuteronomy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee Dan. 18.15 of thy Brethren like unto me unto him you shall hearken Tell me Brethren have not ye that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there hath not been in Israel a Prophet like Moses thus then do I frame my argument God promiseth that there shall be one Prophet shall rise up an affirmative word as Moses like unto me there hath not been any of the Prophets of his degree as the Rabbies say in the Talmud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the Prophets have prophesied in a looking-glass as in the dark and Moses hath prophesied in a looking-glass as in the light setting forth the quality of Moses and that there hath been no Prophet so great as he Then if he hath not been he was to be for to keep the Divine promise and who was it Christ And therefore he sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to me in giving Law As I give you Law so he is to give you Law and therefore now I command you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to him you shall hearken And not only this but proceeds saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That whosoever will not hearken unto my words Verse 19. which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him Observe my Hebrew Brethren that in the keeping of the first Law the text saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cursed be he who confirmeth not the words of this Law to do them Deut. 18.15 And not doing them he lies under a curse But by this change new Law it is not enough to ly under a curse but the text saith moreover I will require it of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where ye see clearly proved to any body of understanding that this change of Law was to be By your own Rabbies though amongst Christians it be taken but for a slender authority I will prove it unto you by what they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the Hogg is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived from the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to return only because its end is to return a time is to come that it will be lawful to eat it O how according to your selves Brethren who so much believe the sayings of your Rabbies hath this Rabbie spoken prophetically saying a time will come that although a Hogg be by a clear Text of the Sacred Scriptures of the Old Testament Lev. 11.9 not to be eaten as he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Swine c. of their flesh shall ye not
union of one Law and one faith and attain salvation thereby according to the Prophet Isaiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light Chap 9.2 They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined ver 6. and then it follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for unto us a childe is born which ye know well to be a prophecy of the Messiah as I have already declared And according unto your account of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mystical sense ye know the Rabbines say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is one signification in the writing and there is one signification in the reading ver 7. which being granted let us consider the following verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the increase must be observed that the Mem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 finalis is in the midst of it an extraordinary unusual thing and never allowed by any rule Let us observe then that this Mem is a numerical letter denoting the number 600. And from the time of this Prophecie of Isaiah to the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ are just 600. years according to the following computation Uzziah reigned 52. years Jotham 16. Ahaz 16. Hezekiah 29. Manasseh 55. Ammon 2. Josiah 31. Jehoiakim 11. Zedekiah 11. The captivity of Babylon lasted 70. years and the second temple 420. which are in all 713. Now if we take away 40. years for the former part of the reign of Uzziah before Isaiah began to Prophesie and 33. years for the time in which our Saviour lived upon earth and 40. years more for the time from his passion to the destruction of the Temple the number to be subtracted from 713. will be 113. and the remainder 600. So then the Mem finalis was put on purpose in the midst of this word to signifie that this Messiah this childe to whom the Prophet gives such honourable titles and in whom this increase of Government was to be fulfilled should be born just 600. years after the date of the prophecy as Jesus of Nazareth the true Messias indeed was By whose coming also was fulfilled that Prophecy of Jeremiah which saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 31.31 32 33. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt which my covevenant they brake although I was an husband unto them saith the Lord. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel c. What other thing brethren can this change of Covenant mean but only the abolishing of the Law of Moses which was the covenant ratified in the day that our Fathers went out of the land of Egypt and the substituting in the room of it the Law of Christ which is a new and a better covenant the benefit whereof according to the following words of this Prophecy is a more distinct and general knowledge of God which is contained in the knowledge of this Messiah God and man as is before declared You know also that the Messias at his coming must through this general knowledge of God take away all Idolatry as from many places I could prove if it were not already confest by you without any contradiction if then this Messias must be God and man if he must redeem the world if he must take away all Idolatry it remains onely for us to prove that this Jesus is that Messias that ye may not say 't is true indeed the Messias is of that essence and shall unite to his Divinity the humane nature and must perform those works which you have spoken of but all this will come to pass hereafter he is not yet come To which I answer that as the Law of Moses is received for the sake of an universal Tradition generally acknowledged in every nation and consequently the history of the miracles there recorded is worthy of belief So also is the Law of Christ for since the first publication of his Gospel it hath been generally acknowledged and without contradiction that in such a certain time Jesus Christ lived and died and soon after his Gospel was written and proclaimed by his Disciples who neither wrote nor preached it for gold nor silver nor compliance with any Prince but on the contrary thereby exposed themselves to many sorrows and a cruel death Now ye know the rule of the Rabbines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man sins not but for himself it is not imaginable that one man should sin for another without the expectation of some profit or gain but on the contrary an apparent certainty of persecution and death It is therefore a sign and evident proof of the tru h of their relation that they suffered themselves to be put to death rather then conceal the doctrine which they were commanded to publish Some heathen Authors also have made remarkable mention of Christ and some of the circumstances of his life and death the substance of whole story remains to this day uncontradicted by any writer of those times Ye know also the common rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the voice is true which is not stopt Now if the History of Christ be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voice which is not stopt it is necessary by your own rule to confess that it is true Now let us add to this acknowledged truth the consideration of the time when the fulfilling of the prophecies concerning the Messias was expected and we shall see how the coming of Jesus of Nazareth did fully consort therewith which hath in part been proved already from the 9. of Isaiah and may be further explained in the interpretation of the following Prophecies of which the first shall be that of Daniel concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seventy weeks Dan. 2.24 c. in which the time of the Messiahs coming is clearly intimated for from the beginning of the captivity of Babylon to the destruction of the second Temple are just seventy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weeks of years that is seventy times seven viz. four hundred and ninety years the captivity lasted 70. and the second Temple 420. years the destruction of which concluded the first coming of Christ the Messiah the Saviour of the world It is necessary therefore to confess that this Jesus is the true Messias of whom the Prophets spoke so long before because his coming doth thus exactly agree with the time allotted in this Prophecie according as I have explained it for the coming of the Messias Now as the foregoing Prophecie is exactly accomplished in the end of our Saviours first coming so also are the two following