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
eat yet that it will be lawful to eat of it And what else will it signifie only that by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ the Law is by him renewed grounded upon the first precept given by God unto Noah which sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even as the green herb have I given you all things Gen. 9.3 All is lawful for ye to eat the Hogg returned once again unto its former condition that it should be lawful to eat it Where it is seen that as well by the sacred Text as by the sayings of the Rabbies his Law was to have a change and a renewing The third proof that not only it was to be changed in corporal things but also in divine and spiritual I will prove it unto you by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rabbies when they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have demanded of the divine Law what deserveth a sinner what punishment must he have Answer that he bring a sacrifice and he shall be pardoned They have demanded of God himself what deserveth a sinner what punishment must he have Answer nothing else only repentance and he shall be pardoned proving of it from the Verse which David said Man and beast shall God save 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What else can be declared by your Rabbies themselves but that a Time was to come Psalm 36. that there should not be any need at all of sacrifices of beasts or animals for the remission of sins but only bare repentance since that sacrifice was nothing else but the Figure Type of the sacrifice of Christ as I refer to an other place the particular explanation thereof It sufficeth hitherto to have proved unto you by reasons evident powerful and clear that this your and my former Law was to be changed Therefore if it be true as I proved that this change must be it cannot be by any other than by this second Law of Charity and Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the true Messias and God and the Son of God in one and the same person But first I will prove unto you the qualities that the Messias is to have that not only he is to be man born of a woman but God himself in essence and his Son by generation and this with brevity that I may not be tedious deferring the full enlargement of the same to my next work that he must be God himself I prove it unto you the Prophet saith speaking of the Messias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is his name whereby he shall be called Jer. 23.9 the Lord our Righteousness and in another place Cap. 33.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is the name wherewith he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Well ye know my Heb. Brethren that this name of Jehovah that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord can not be given nor is it ever given nor is it found written but for the proper divine Essence as your Cabalists do say i. e. the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vein and sourse of all sacred and divine names and is called by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a proper name and essential name and others they call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surnames which may be found written with prophane significations as Eloim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may signifie Idols or Judges or else Adonai written in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be interpreted prophanely for my Lords but yet when this name is written with this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehovah it cannot be allow'd otherwise than Sacred Holy and for Divine Essence it self Then if the Messiah is called with this title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehovah he must be God himself and not an ordinary man I observe also Brethren that the Prophet Isaiah speaking of the Messiah and of the names by which he is to be called saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And his name shall be called wonderful Isa 9.6 Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace O grand Titles among the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mighty God spirituality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Humanity conjoyn'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deriving from the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Man Observe that ye shall not find in all the sacred Scriptures any particular person intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God with this word only the Messias which was to come for whom had been spoken al the Prophecies which have been in him fulfilled thus then the Messias is not only to be corporeal as ye believe but corporeal and spiritual both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and man And it was reason Brethren that it should be so for if we shall go about to consider the work that this Messias came to do and whence it proceeds we shall see that it was not expedient that he should be meer man for this Messias proceeds only as wel ye know by occasion of the curse given by God unto our first Father Adam for the sin of the fruit having said unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ye well know where it is spoken duplicately by dying thou shalt die it s interpreted by your own very Rabbies that it treats always of two deaths that is death spiritual and death corporeal or temporal so that to the end that the world should not perish for this great sin the mercy of God hath found the means for to appease his justice and to save the world from this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diabolical serpent for ye know well what the Rabbies say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is the serpent he is the wicked temptation he is the Devil he is the Embassador of death he comes down and tempts he riseth and accuseth he descends and takes the soul So that this serpent is nothing else but diabolical temptation for God promiseth to put hatred betwixt this serpent and the seed of the woman insomuch that he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel what else can this clearly signifie with the foundation as I have exprest unto you of spiritual death to which Adam was condemned the which as ye know must cease with the coming of the Messias as your Rabbies say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the time to come the Divine Majesty will take the wicked temptation and behead it before the righteous to the end there may be no more temptation nor spiritual death but the remedy of all the evils as well temporal as spiritual which flow from sin might be obtained by the coming of the Messiah and for these so great effects a meer man was not sufficient and therefore he was to be God and man And the benefits of his coming were not to be extended to the Hebrews alone but to other nations also that all the world might be united in the