Vindiciæ legis

Now to the Preface some answer thus, That we may be said Answer 1 literally to be in Egypt: and they go upon this ground, that we are made one with the people of the Jews; and they bring the eleventh of the Romans to prove this, where the Gentiles ⟨p. 164⟩are said to be grafted in, so that they become of the same stock. And it is plain, that the Believers are Abraham's seed; and then, by this interpretation, whatsoever mercy was vouchsafed unto them, we are to account it as ours. This cannot well be rejected, but yet I shall not pitch upon this. Others therefore they say, That this bondage was typical, of our spiritual bondage; and Answ. 2 the deliverance out of it was typical, of our deliverance from Hell. But this is not so literal an interpretation as I desire, though I think it true. Therefore, in the third place, I shall answer, That there may be peculiar arguments that do belong to the Jews, why they should keep the Commandments, Answ. 3 and there are general ones that belong to all. The general arguments are, I am the Lord thy God, this belongs to us; and then that peculiar argument may belong to them. And this is no new thing to have a perpetual duty pressed upon a people, by some occasional, or peculiar motive. Hence Jerem. 16. 14. 15. God saith there by the Prophet, that they shall no more say, The Lord that brought up out of the land of Egypt, but that brought up out of the land of the North. Where you see a special new argument may be brought for the general duty. And as for the particular temporal Promise, I grant that did only belong to them; but I deny the consequence, that therefore the precept doth not: for the Scripture useth divers arguments to the obedience of the same Command. Davids Psalms for the most part, and some of Paul's Epistles, as Philemon, &c. were written upon particular occasions, yet the matter of them doth still belong to us.

Now to the Preface some answer thus, That we may be said Answer 1 literally to be in Egypt: and they goe upon this ground, that we are made one with the people of the Jewes; and they bring the eleventh of the Romanes to prove this, where the Gentiles ⟨p. 164⟩are said to be graffed in, so that they become of the same stock. And it is plain, that the Beleevers are Abrahams seed; and then, by this interpretation, whatsoever mercy was vouchsafed unto them, we are to account it as ours. This cannot well be rejected, but yet I shall not pitch upon this. Others therefore they say, That this bondage was typicall, of our spirituall bondage; and Answ. 2 the deliverance out of it was typicall, of our deliverance from Hell. But this is not so literall an interpretation as I desire, though I thinke it true. Therefore, in the third place, I shall answer, That there may be peculiar arguments that doe belong to the Jewes, why they should keep the Commandements, Answ. 3 and there are generall ones that belong to all. The generall arguments are, I am the Lord thy God, this belongs to us; and then that peculiar argument may belong to them. And this is no new thing to have a perpetuall duty pressed upon a people, by some occasionall, or peculiar motive. Hence