of our dearest affections to embrace them But it is well known that divers Persons under full convictions as to our opinion as these Gent. term it have been denyed communion with us and desired to wait in the use of means until the fruits fore mentioned shall appear whereas these Gent. do own and receive such in whom neither Faith Repentance Self-denial Knowledge or desire at all appears Their second Consideration That the Administrator calls the distinction of Persons Idols as at a meeting in Newcastle the last year he called them appearances and manifestations Reply These Gent. have no less abused me in this than in their High Commission-like dealing in that Conference at Newcastle where Mr. Hammond would rigidly impose the term Person upon me and when I put him to produce one rule for it which by Scripture he could not he demanded what I would call the Three Persons My answer was that I durst not give any Appellation at all but Father Son and Spirit God being gratiously pleased so to appear or manifest himself to us when suddainly he stopped my speech and spake very loud to the people that I called God an appearance or a manifestation which went for currant amongst that party And the like height of spirit was seen in the same Gent. when I was speaking of God as a Father a Son a Spirit he presently riseth up crying A Son a Son is that Scripture Language Then casting his arms abroad to the people Look ye friends said he this is the Gent. that stands so much for Scripture and now he saies A Son a Son then turning to me he said I must call him the Son I answered A Son and he hotly replyed often the Son not a Son t is no Scripture phrase till at last he sate down silent upon my rehearsall of this Scripture To us a Child is born to us a Son is given Such hath been the carriage of some of these Gent. towards me more like the Lordly Prelates than humble Gospel Ministers But concerning the great charge of calling the distinctions of Persons Idols I have indeed warned Christians to keep themselves from the Idols of mens vains inventions Mat. 15.9 Psal 99.8 because Christ hath declared it to be vain worship and t is that which procures the vengeance of God upon it Now if the Appellation Person be not Scripture t is a meer invention of Man and so an Idol Yes say they we have the Author to the Hebrews and is not he of more Authority than all the Rabbies in the World Reply Undoubtedly he is for however some do question the Authority of this Epistle yet I do firmly embrace it as the very word of Christ But the Author of this Epistle doth not call God a Person the words quoted by the Gen. are these Heb. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the express character of his substance or subsistence These Gent. tell the world of the Administrators non-acquaintance with the Rabbies and that I do not disprove them I shall onely at present make use of our own Writers Crit. Sac. pag. 272. who possibly may help to inform some of them that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it be translated Person for a Person and that some render it Essence others Substance others Subsistence yet all these are improper and that the proper signification of this word is a Foundation or Basis which subsisting of it self bears up other things In 2 Cor. 9.4 it is Confidence In Heb. 11.1 it is Existence In the Scripture it doth signifie A firm and settled perswasion of the mind upon any thing mark it well this is the Scripture signification of the word but saith he It is also used observe it is also used for the Divine essence with a Personal propriety Heb. 13. Thus you see this worthy Author layeth no such weight upon the word person as these Gent do to charge a man with denying the Trinity that cannot own the term Let us a little consider another learned Writer Gheynell Div. Trinun p. 22. who was commended to me with seeming affection by Mr. Hammond who indifferently accepts the word Person or Subsistence and plainly saies that the word which they translate Person is Subsistence Heb. 1 3. Page 81. and in page 84. the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render Subsistence and by way of Analogy Person observe it is by way of Analogy he further holds forth Page 89 that the Fathers did use the phrase of three Hypostases not daring it seems in the purest Primitive times to translate it Person but at last Page 91. they took the boldness to use the word Person I desire to be informed why this word Hypostasis which the Primitive Fathers so long used may not still be kept without translation as well as other * As Thylacceries Mat. 23 5. Anathema Meranath◠words whose proper signification cannot easily be rendred in English But to proceed with Master Cheynell pag. 89 90. you have this sober Christian conclusion We are prompted by the Spirit to explain this Mystery thus the Father Son and holy Ghost are three in subsistence but one in nature no Mystery can be explained with less violence and more sobriety for we are precise in keeping to the very words of Scripture in explaining this Grand Mystery to the plainest of men and therefore they were sentenced of old that did not believe this plain truth But I am sentenced now for professing the truth for when I declared my judgement in this glorious Three in One nothing would serve their turn but the very word Person what the height of spirit was God knows One observation more I shall add from Mr. Cheynell upon Calvin Non minori Religione c. Whatever we think or speak of our own heads concerning God will be like our selves unsavory foolish and vain and yet these Gent. are troubled that their invented word Person should be tearmed an Idol no Language is rich enough no words are significant enough to declare this profound Mystery which the understanding of Men and Angels cannot comprehend nor the tongue of Men and Angels express And therefore I hope that untill these Gentlemen can shew me the word Person in the Scripture I shall enjoy my Christan liberty to adore the eternal Father Son and Spirit according to Christs Word and not after the inventions and rigid injunctions of men There are three that bear record in Heaven 1 John 5.7 the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one Little Children I warn you again keep your selves from Idols Amen Verse 21. The Gent. have prevented me in answering themselves how I came to know that the Jews count it great blasphemy to call God a Person for they presently conclude That I had it from this Counterfeit Jew and truly in this they are right I should hope for some Christian accomodation if I could find these Gen. as ingenuous
in the false Jews Examinations it is our great mercy that God restrained him from inventing lyes of us for out it had come we must have shared with Lieutenant Collonel Hobson whom here the Gent. present to the world from the Jows mouth a person of credit As a slighter of Ordinances a neglecter of Family Duties For say they the Jew was much pressed by one how he could stand under the power of Lioutenant Collone Hobosons pravers being so long in his Family To which he plainly answered That they used no Family Duties while he was there How Gospel-like had it been if these Gent. had enquired the truth before they had thus published defamed the Lieutenant-Colonel living but ten miles distance I hope he will vindicate himself and shew that he dare not expose himself and Family to that direful curse Ier 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not on thy Name Having thus wounded the reputation of the Lieutenaut-Colonel they are pleased again to let fly at the Administrator and his Allies for crying up the false Jews Confession To which I answer That if it be well weighed by the judicious Reader as the Confession of a Iew it will appear a very full Confession of a Messiah come in the Flesh For the Gentlemen have dealt most unworthily in concealing that part of his Declaration wherein much of the excellency of a work of grace exquisitely counterfeited by him is contained most in juriously breaking off with a Caetera desiderantur When I demanded of M. Hammond whether he would have denied the Iew Baptism upon this Confession He answered Yes because of his many lies But when I replyed That his lies were unknown to me at that time Nay then said he I should have not denyed him And now I suppose the Gentlemen have not forgot any one passage they have let fly every way at the Church of Hexham at the Administrator at their dear Friend at the Lieutenant-Colonel at Captain Everard at the Army and before they have done My dearly beloved and most cordial Fellow-Labourer will be brought upon the Stage by them Really the Administrator hath as good company as he could wish in this alone the Gentlemen have been courteous 'T is no small mercy my dear Brethren and Friends that you and I are counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name who hath suffered the Fathers wrath for us Heb. 10 32 33. 't is one Gospel-mark of illumination Partly whilest yee are made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions and partly whilest ye became companions of them that were so used And here I present you with the false Iew truly and faithfully as it was written with his own Hand The substance of the Declaration and Confession which was made at the publike Meeting-House at HEXHAM the fourth Moneth the fifth Day 1653. By IOSEPH BEN ISRAEL ROM 11.1 I say then hath God cast away his People God forbid For I also am an Israelite of the Seed of Abraham of the Tribe of Judah Benjamin Men Brethren and Fathers MY purpose is to declare unto this Congregation first my Descent and Education and secondly the great work of my Conversion I verily am a man which am a Iew of the Tribe of Iudah Act. 23. born in Mantua a City in Lombardy a Province of Italy trained up in the Religion of my Fathers and brought up in the choicest learning of my Countrey and having attained unto eight Languages I betook me setiously to the Study of Philosophy where meeting with Plato sirnamed Divine Trinum per unum Socrates and Hermes Trismegistus I found such light in the glorious Mystery of the Triunity that I was wonderfully surprized and amazed and the more that Heathens should come to the knowledge of this most excellent Doctrine O Lord said I how shall those Philosophers rise in judgment against us who have more light even sepher hattorah the Book of the Law the former book rendred them inexcusable but what will become of us who have the revealed Will of God I had not gone three foot-steps in this way but I found Elohim in the plurall number compounded with a singular word Bara created upon which my meditation was much raised to admire this mysterie when passing on a little further I met with Nangas haadam betrolmenu Let us perfect man with our Image Why us but that we should understand the plurality holden forth in the Creator this drew my Meditations first towards the Christians Messiah But now Satan the professed enemy of Christ of al that set their faces towards heaven told me that these were but fancies and delusions of my own brain shall the Heathenish Philosophers be a rule for my Religion no I will follow the Law under which I was born and educated Behold the power of Satans snares and behold the vileness of mine own heart forsaking this blessed light and rejecting all these holy motions returning to my former old waies again But here through the goodness of God I found no rest but very much trouble and anquish of spirit But O the loving kindness of God! whose design graticusly appeared to bring me to the knowledge of himself even from our own way of worship Our Doctors chuse out a place to say every Morning and Evening Shemang Israel Adonay Eloheinu Adona echad Hear O Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one Immediately upon this I find thrice Elohenu Jehovah Iehovah the Lord c. O Brethren I cannot express the heart-searchings and movings that were upon me at that instant which with my former Meditations engaged my soul in a firm belief of the blessed Three in One which most sacred Trinity I do invocate as a witness of the sincerity of my heart holding concurrence with my words O Holy of Holies Father Son and Spirit Searcher of the heart and Tryer of the reins be pleased to give strength and courage to avow thee grant that my lips may enunciate truth and deal with thy servant according to the integrity of his heart After diligent enquiry of the Lord Jesus Christ I did in heart confess him as the most high God taking upon him our nature but then Satan sets upon me with fresh and violent temptations which caused me to break forth O my soul it s for thee I care go I back to the Law I lose thee and thy case my body go I forward to those that profess this Messiah and behold gross and abominable Idolatry look upward and behold a just and jealous God the punisher of it look about thee and behold all thy friends ashamed of thee and thy neerest relations our sing thee and the Messiah whom thou believest But can this be the true Messiah whose disciples are so notoriously wicked wallowing in all kind of sin and woful Idolatry In the midst of these perplexities and distractions of spirit I was almost swallowed up of despair And
their profession After such a people I especially enquired 1. the Lord having convinced me that there was no way of becomming a visible Disciple of the Lord Jesus but by Baptism and that Faith was necessarily to precede the administration of it The Scripture through which the Lord was pleased to break in with a conviction in this particular upon my spirit was that of Mark 16.16 confirmed by the constant practice of the Disciples in the History of the New Testament neither did I ever meet with any plain Scripture thwarting this light but many concurring to confirm me in the truth I had received So that Hic sisto pedem till they who walk by a rule preposterous to this can shew me a clear and plain Scripture for such their walkings To bottom Ordinances upon mens inferences how rationally soever deduced is not to me consistent with the faithfulness of the Messiah who was the great Apostle and Prophet of his Church and left not his houshold without plain directions how he would have them to go in and out before him in all wel-pleasing and not to depend upon the extracts of the wisest of Mens Reasonings For Moses who was but a Servant in whose House from my youth up I have been educated was so faithful as in plain terms to lay down every Ordinance which God would have us to make the Rule of our obedience And shall we suspect his Master would be less faithful or deficient No in no wise But secondly I did the rather enquire after such a People because their manner of Administring of Baptism is very clear to me to be most consentaneous to the mind of the Lord Christs institution which is by a total immersion of the Party baptized under water When I consulted with the best Phylologists in the Greek tongue whether Sacred or Prophane I found all Vno Ore profess That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dip or put over head as the Dyar doth his Cloath into his Liquors which is confessed to be the genuine meaning of the word even by those who are professed Adversaries to the carrying on of Baptism by immersion Let me give you one instead of many and that an eminent one it is learned Spanhemius in his Dubia Evangelica Dub. 24. Partis tertiae Thus much the Gent. had in print which they willingly concealed ad calcem where having discussed ex professo quid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie concludes that this exposition is to use his very terms Syncera conformis significationi verbi communi Christianorum immo omnium Graecè doctorum calculo comprobata And this sense of the word is received and retained by the learned Translators in the most eminent Languages of West Christendome The Italian and the Spanish retain the Greek word Baptesimo The High and Low Dutch render it Doop and Tauff which signifie a total immersion and Eu tauffen to baptize as is well known to those that are knowing and acquainted in these Languages Add hereunto the conformity between the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and tebilah in our Language which is a total Immersion as appears by that expression our Nation gives concerning a Woman going to purifie her self in Water after the daies of her separation because of her uncleanness she is said to go lattevillah to be hid over Head and Ears I shall only add this one Testimony of our Rabbines which when I found comformable to the practice of the Disciples of the Messiah in the carrying on of this Ordinance of Baptism as it is held forth in the Scriptures by immersion of the Parties to be baptized it was of great weight and authority with me and it is this In sepher Jalkut O nitzachon set out by R. Mulhusino argel letalmidei talui lalechet litvilah it is a custome of the Disciples of the hanged man for my Nation in mentioning of Christ Periphrase him by contempt talui the hang'd man to go to the place of Immersion to be hid over head and ears in Water And thus the Lord having made plain my way before me and bringing me to a people walking according to the light which through the Scriptures confirmed by the Testimony both of the learned in my own and other Nations who was I that I should resist God and turn away from those whom God had discovered to my poor wandring soul to be a people walking in the way of his own appointment and according to those convictions that were upon my spirit For whose Communion I do exceedingly bless God and wherein I greatly rejoice The Lord Christ having given into my spirit abundance of joy and refreshing as a signal token of his good liking and gratious approbation of this my undertaking warming my heart under the full discovery of that Promise made good to me both in the union of my soul to himself and giving me into the imbraces of and communion with his People Him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out John 6.37 Now to God onely wise who hath shewed me these grear things the God of my Fathers keeping Covenant for ever who hath not taken his mercy from me nor suffered his Truth to fail but hath taken one of the out-casts of his antient Israel and brought it home to himself To him be glory and Dominion throughout all Ages Amen Amen Tamvenishlam tehillah leel barach Josephus Ben Israel ex Judaeo Christianus The Administrators Animadversions upon this Declaration and Confession wherein the glorious Order and Method of the Highest shines forth 1. IT is observable that the Lord Jesus Christ was pleased to manifest himself to this poor soul that asked not after him to advance him as a living Monument of free grace and mercy like as the Woman of Sychar comming to Jacobs well to draw water for her bodies comfort met unexpectedly with a living Fountain of distinguishing grace freely streaming out to her soul So was the Lord pleased while this Jew was pumping the water of Philosophy for the accomplishment of the outward man to open the glorious Fountain of the Divine Nature for the blessed information and to the great admiration of his Spirit until that happy season blinded with the Traditions of his Fathers O the distinguishing love of God! Rom. 11.7 2. The Gospel-like order of this great work deserves our most serious thoughts that high and wonderful doctrine which the Almighty laies for a sure Foundation in his heart is it whereon eternal blessedness depends And this is life eternal That they might know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.3 He is first awakened as it were by Esays Vision the discovery of that glorious infinite blessed Three in One Holy Father Esa The Lords antient people the Jews have ever accounted it great blasphemy to call God a Person 6.3 Holy Son John 12.41 Holy Spirit Acts 28.26 and other Foundation can no
in acknowledging they have done me wrong in taking this Note out of the Margin where I wrote it and putting it into the Text or body of my Animadversions possibly God may give them Eyes to see the many unbrotherly light unsavory expressions and carriage in their false Jew Amongst the rest me thinks their third consideration is no solid one viz. You see by this time how the Candle smells Is not this to call darknesse light I am perswaded if I had written of seeing the Candle smell these Gent. would have made themselses as merry with it as they have done with their dear Friend in their Narrative But to proceed they demand If my Animadversions upon the Jews Affliction be not to call darkness light To which I must return That his affliction according to his Declaration was as truely light to me as Simon Magus believing was to Philip Acts 8.13 And I shall leave to the Saints to judge whether my charitable conclusion of the Jews trembling melting confession have not more Gospel-like light than these Gentlemens following Consideration which by way of Quaere they send out into the world thus Whether by this rayling at Rome there may not be hopes of the Administrators reall turning from Popery which we much suspected by his speedy and cordiall closing with the counterfeit Jew Reply That which these Gentlemen term railing at Rome is the express Language of Gods Spirit there are very few words in my fourth Section but what the Scripture breaths against Babylon and as for the Quaery I must acknowledge it is so full of envy that it puts my spirit out of frame something but I fear it is a temptation moves me to answer in another manner but let the Prophet answer for me Then said they come Jer. 18.18 19. 20.10 and let us devise devices against Jeremiah Come and let us smite him with the tongue Give heed to me O Lord for I heard the defaming of many fear on every side Report say they and we will report it all my familiars watched for my halting c. Father forgive these poor prejudiced Gent. for they know not what they do To their fifth Consideration I have already replyed in my return to my third concerning the light I judged the Jews estate by And whereas they tell the Reader that he cannot but see my ignorance in heart work let me also tell the Reader that if all be true which these Gent. affirm of me they have as little skill in heart work as I for some of them if not all reported of me as a godly able and approved Preacher of the Gospel and thereupon importuned me to Preach the Lecture at Hexham as knowing me utterly averse to any engagement in a Parish way Yea one of these Gent. not long since professed that he believed I had grace and yet now they have subscribed it that they suspect my being a Papist still they bewail the sadness of my condition as one given up of God to believe lies They proclaim me ignorant of the great my steries of the Gospel and heart work really if these things be so these Gent. are as ignorant in heart work as my self but if they be not so what manifest wrong have they done in publishing these to the world And whereas in their sixth Consideration they mind me That the false Jew often professed that he had no work of Grace before his arrival in England and then desire to know how I discovered that his perplexed soul was acted by the Spirit of the living God to pant and breath after Jesus Christ and to abandon all enjoyments for him Reply He had no work of Grace indeed neither before nor after his arrival but he seemed to me to have and these Gent. themselves have no other way to know a work of grace but by the fruits both they and we must be contented with the knowledge of Samuel 1 Sam. 16.7 1 Cor. 13 9.12 Peter Philip Paul and other Saints who can know but in part see through a glass darkly it is Gods Prerogative Royal to know and search the heart so that the question must be nor whether this or any other Hypocrite do pant after or forsake all for Christ but whether an Elect Vessel may do so before he see his interest in Christ I hope I have so much acquaintance with heart work in my self and many others as to know that a pretious soul may pant and breath many a day moneth and year seeking fot a Christ without to use the Jewes language before they find or feel on dragm of comfort of the least knowledge of a Christ within How many drooping disconfolate broken trembling hearts are there wrastling with many violent assaults terrified under many dreadful temptations strugling through the pangs and bitter throwes of the New Birth before Christ be formed in them What would such poor souls give nay what would they not give for one glimpse of his reconciled face one beam of light from his glorious countenance one soul-ravishing embrace from their Beloved before they feel him like his first Gospel Messenger springing in the Womb for joy who all this while keeps behind a thick and dark cloud on purpose to make sincere souls more earnestly and affectionately seek and cry after him for he loves to see their Face and hear their Voice even while they are in the secret places of the staires yea possibly whilst they lye prostrate at his feet begging his favour Caut. 2.14 they meet onely with frowns denying rejecting it may be spurning his poor Petitioners as dogs from his presence who are willing to be so accounted if they may obtain some of his crumbs from under his Table Mat. 15.22 Psal 48.10 the meanest Ordinances of his House slighted by wantons which yet their dejected souls esteem too precious for them yea so base so vile so abominable and filthy in their own eyes are they that crying out undone unclean polluted dust and ashes wretched creatures death flashings of Hell Fire walking upon the brink of that dreadfull Praecipice which descends unto the soul-swallowing Gulf of despair till at length a still and soft Voice some sweet heavenly whispers He shew thee the kindness of God thou poor dead dog 2 Sam. 9.3.8.11 Psal 11. â—ult thou miserable polluted dunghill-wretch O thou afflicted soul thou tossed troubled soul what wilt thou be it unto thee even as thou wilt and then sometimes Or ever I was aware Cant. 6.11 my soul made me like the Chariots of Aminadib saith the poor distressed Saint And truly such like was the Jews condition to me and many more discerning Spirits who heard him speak farre beyond all that hath been Printed by him or of him as one who was brought out of Egyptian darknesse and had travelled hard through the howling and terrible Wilderness of great afflictions before he found that he had got one step into the Promised possession any interest at all