N01184:29
A dissertation concerning the future conversion of the Jewish Nation. Answering the objections of…
A dissertation concerning the future conversion of the Jewish Nation. Answering the objections of the Reverend and learned Mr. Baxter, Dr. Lightfoot, and others. : With an enquiry into the first resurrection. / By Increase Mather, president of Harvard-College, at Cambridge, in New-England. ; [Three lines from Jeremiah]A dissertation concerning the future conversion of the Jewish Nation. Answering the objections of the Reverend and learned Mr. Baxter, Dr. Lightfoot, and others. : With an enquiry into the first resurrection. / By Increase Mather, president of Harvard-Colledge, at Cambridge, in New-England. ; [Three lines from Jeremiah]
London: printed by R. Tookey for Nath. Hillier, 1709
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. To say the Body of the Israelitish Nation was destroyed by the Romans, therefore the Prediction that all Israel shall be saved has been fulfilled, is odd kind of arguing. And although' the conquering Sword of the Roman Emperors, Vespasian, Tr•jan, Adrian, &c. has cut off Millions of Jews, it is a great Mistake to say that the Body, or major Part of that Nation has been destroyed. ⟨p. 4⟩There is an old Prophecy, and most certainly a true one, that Dan and Joseph, shall look for Salvation, by Christ▪ Gen. 49.18, 26. And many other Scriptures there are (as I have elsewhere noted) which foretell a Conversion of the Ten Tribes. Now let Mr. Baxter's Supposition be granted, (which is Datum non concessum) that the Body of the Two Tribes is extinct, unless it can be proved that the Ten Tribes have embraced the Gospel, the Promise made to them remains still to be accomplished, Hos. 1.11. […] Lightfoot has observed, that throughout the whole 11th Chapter to the Romans, there is not the Name of Jew, but of Israel, mentioned, to show that the Ten Tribes are as much concerned in the Salvation there spoken of as the Two Tribes. It is objected, that those Tribes are no where in the World. I will not insist on Mr. Fletcher's Arguments to prove they are among the Tartars; tho' this was also the Opinion of Genebrand, Boterus, and of Morney, de verit. relig. Christianae, C. 26. p. 423. and others. If I should say that R. Benjamin in his Itinerary relates that he saw Multitudes of them who at that Time retained the Distinction of their Tribes, Mr. Baxter tells me he is a Jew, and not to be credited, nor in Truth is he in some of his Relations, as Lemperaeur has made to appear. But Josephus (a more credible Jew) says, that in his Time the Ten Tribes were known to be beyond Euphrates in almost infinite Numbers, Antiqu. L. 11. C. 5. And Jerome in his Comment on Hos. 1. and Joel 3. says, that in his Days they were known to be in Media, where the Scripture informs us that they were transported and planted by the Assyrians,