3. Nor were they the only people that professed to Worship the true God; neither was holiness and salvation confined to them; but were found in other Nations. Therefore though we have but little notice of the state of other Kingdoms in their times, and scarcely know what National Churches, that is, whole Nations professing saving faith, there were, yet we may well conclude that there were other visible Churches besides the Jews. For, 1. No Scripture denieth it: and charity then must hope the best. 2. The Scriptures of the Old Testament give us small account of other Countries, but of the Jews alone, with some of their Neighbours. 3. Shem was alive in Abraham's days (yea about 34 years after Abraham's death and within 12 years of Ishmaels death, viz. till about An. Mundi 2158.) And so great and blessed a man as Shem, cannot be thought to be less than a King, and to have a Kingdom governed according to his holiness; and so that there was with him not only a Church, but a National Church, or holy Kingdom. 4. And Melchizedek was a holy King and Priest; and therefore had a Kingdom holily governed; and therefore not only a visible, but also a National Church (supposing that he was not Shem, as the Jews and Broughton, &c. think; For the situation of his Country doth make many desert that opinion). 5. And Job and his friends show that there were Churches then besides the Jews. 6. And it is not to be thought that all Ishmaels posterity suddenly apostatized. 7. Nor that Esau's posterity had no Church state; (for both retained Circumcision). 8. Nor is it like that Abraham's off-spring by Keturah were all apostates, being once inchurched. For though the special promise was made to Isaac's seed, as the peculiar holy Nation, &c. yet not as the only Children of God, or persons in a state of salvation. 9. And the passages in Jonah about Nineveh 1give us some such intimations also. 10. And Japheth and his seed being under a special blessing, it is not like that they all proved Apostates. And what was in all other Kingdoms of the World is little known to us.
3. Nor were they the only people that professed to Worship the true God; neither was holiness and salvation confined to them; but were found in other Nations. Therefore though we have but little notice of the state of other Kingdoms in their times, and scarcely know what National Churches, that is, whole Nations professing saving faith, there were, yet we may well conclude that there were other visible Churches besides the Jews. For, 1. No Scripture denyeth it: and charity then must hope the best. 2. The Scriptures of the Old Testament give us small account of other Countreys, but of the Jews alone, with some of their Neighbours. 3. Sem was alive in Abrahams dayes (yea about 34 years after Abrahams death and within 12 years of Ismaels death, viz. till about An. Mundi 2158.) And so great and blessed a man as Sem, cannot be thought to be less than a King, and to have a Kingdom governed according to his holiness; and so that there was with him not only a Church, but a National Church, or holy Kingdom. 4. And Melchizedeck was a holy King and Priest; and therefore had a Kingdom holily governed; and therefore not only a visible, but also a National Church (supposing that he was not Sem, as the Jews and Broughton, &c. think; For the scituation of his Countrey doth make many desert that opinion). 5. And Iob and his friends shew that there were Churches then besides the Jews. 6. And it is not to be thought that all Ismaels posterity suddenly apostatized. 7. Nor that Esau's posterity had no Church state; (for both retained Circumcision). 8. Nor is it like that Abrahams off-spring by Keturah were all apostates, being once inchurched. For though the special promise was made to Isaac's seed, as the peculiar holy Nation, &c. yet not as the only Children of God, or persons in a state of salvation. 9. And the passages in Ionah about Ninive 1give us some such intimations also. 10. And Iaphet and his seed being under a special blessing, it is not like that they all proved Apostates. And what was in all other Kingdoms of the World is little known to us.
- 1It is this Jewish pride of their own prerogatives which Paul so much laboureth in all his Epistles to pull down:
