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
man lay Wherefore let holy hearts labour for a right understanding of this excellent mystery 1 John 5.7 13 20 21. Little Children keep your selves from the Idols of mens vain inventions let the holy expression of men divinely inspired be your rule without adding or dimishing Rev. 22.18 19. 3. No sooner hath he conceived with this blessed truth but the grand enemy of the Saints stands before him with fearful temptations Revelat. 22.4 either to strangle it before or devour it so soon as it was born And this occasioned those sharp conflicts in this distressed Jew who was now put very hard to it so that either he must extinguish this Candle of the Lord lighted in his soul and utterly relinquish this glorious doctrine of salvation or else he must forsake all relations and enjoyments and be an exile for ever from that excellent place of his Nativity which is accounted a second Eden even the choice Garden of the world Alas poor seeming Christians how many of you are entangled in these snares of relations and enjoyments which you dare not will not relinquish for Christ so as to make a bold Profession of the despised Truths of a Crucified Redeemer O how will you stand in judgement with this happy Convert who hath forsaken all to follow the Lord Jesus 4. But now behold a stumbling-block surpassing all Satans temptations or snares of relations or whatsoever else could be as a Mountain obstructing his passage towards Sion This is the scarlet coloured Whore sitting upon seven Hills that monstrous strumpet Romish Babylon whose dreadful abhominations stops the advance of this seeking soul he concludes these cannot be the Disciples of the true Messiah that thus wallow in all manner of impiety whoredom murder sodomy theft covetousness pride Pontificial Pride but especially that filthy and detestable idolatry of Image and Picture Worship which the just God so severely punished by a 70 years Captivity of his nation in literal Babylon Ez. 23.27.38 Neh. 13.28 with that other sin of horrible prophanation of the solemn time of Gods worship Let every sincere soul that can either pray Jer. 51.3 preach or bend a Bow lay out it self to the utmost purse person all for the destruction of this Man of sin with his bloody hellish Inquisition that so mightily hindereth the great work of Israels conversion O Daughter of Babylon who art to be wasted destroyed happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones Psa 137.8 9. 5. While Romish abominations cause his retreat towards his former legal profession his perplexed Soul acted by the Spirit of the living God to pant and breath after him who hath perfectly fulfilled the Law by contrary motions and struglings like Jacob and Esau in the womb of Rebecca is nigh unto despair even ready to split upon that dreadful Rock In this mount of straights the holy one of Israel appears who having laid so sure a foundation in his precious soul carries it on gloriously to perfection Phil. 1.6 making out unto him the next great mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 While he discovers the gross corruptions of the Jewish Doctors labouring to obscure that serene Prophecie wherin the glory of this Gospel Mystery shines forth the like impiety he discovers in their senceless and gross abuse of the Kingly Prophet Isay 7.14 concerning the sufferings of Christ which serve more to establish him in the faith of the Gospel So having gotten the New Testament of some Popist Priest the chief benefit he ever received from Papists he finds all prophecies concerning the Incarnation Passion Resurrection and Ascension exactly fulfilled in him in whom all promises are yea and Amen 6. Being thus informed of these great mysteries of God he next by reflection upon himself discerns first What he was by Creation Innocent and happy Secondly What he is without a Savior by sin Wretched and miserable Thirdly What he would be Gratious and glorious and seeing Christ the only way to this blessedness he is so gratiously strengthned from on high as to abandon all enjoyments and earthly comforrs and to cast himself upon a naked Christ 7. Hereupon he sets upon a diligent search of a Christ enthroned in the beautiful conversation of a People professing the Faith of the Gospel not after the Traditions and Inventions of men but according to the exact prescription of the King of Saints 8. Taking his life in his hand through dangers and difficulties he visits Germany where finding his hopes frustrate by Hesseu he comes to Hamburg and there the gratious hand of Providence brings the Fame of English Professors to his ear Oh that the increasing glory of our Land may more and more allure the out-casts of Israel to come to the knowledge and profession of the Son of God yea let all that profess the name of Christ labour to adorn the glorious Doctrine of Salvation in this happy Isle that they may never crucifie the Son of God afresh nor put him to an open shame by their miscarriages Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way Deut. 27.18 Mat. 18.7 Esay 57.14 62.10 then woe to Rome the great Mother of Harlots and abhominations woe to Germany woe to Hessen yea woe and alas to English Professors all who call themselves Christians that by any corruption in Life or Doctrine shall prove a stumbling-block to such inquiring seeking souls 9. Englands Renown adds wings to the heightned desires of this distressed Rabby who upon holy resolutions of this high design is vehemently assaulted by Satan who had not forgot his old language in Peter saying Master pity thy self the English permit not any of thy Nation to abide amongst them they have slain thousands and canst thou think to escape But getting victory over this temptation Gen. 12.11 12 13. and imbarking for England he is suddenly surprized by another like the Father of the faithful for the preservation of his life even slavish fear not knowing of the liberty in England to his people he answered to the Mariners That he was an Englishman I shall not I hope either daub with untempered Morter to sow Pillowes under any arm-holes far be it from me to extenuate any sin yet something me-thinks may and ought to be spoken in this matter 1. That it is a received and avowed Principle amongst the Jews that nothing is sin when life is concerned except Murder and Idolatry 2. That this Jew was not yet throughly instructed in Christianity not any Christians he had met with making Conscience of such kind of untruths 3. It was through the same fear that surprized Iacob David Peter and other dear servants of Christ both of old and in our late wars many a precious soul changing his Name c. when life was in danger but this was their infirmity as it was also
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