The Ten Tribes.

Here I shall not be anxious a­bout the numbring of the 10 Tribes. Whither after their first secession from the house of David, part of them did remain with Judah, that is, whether Simeon and Dan (whose Lands were parcelled out of the great territory of Judah, and lay West of that Tribe towards the midland Sea) did continue within the bounds of the Kingdom of Judah.

As to that, we must herein ac­quiesce, that holy Scripture tells [Page 31] us that 10 Tribes did revolt from Rehoboam, 1 K. 11. 31, 35. the Son of Solomon, though its certain, that several out of all the Tribes of Israel, 2 Chron. 11. 16. came up after the Priests to sacrifice to the Lord God of their Fathers at Je­rusalem, and 'tis very probable from their religious inclination to pure worship,Hos. 6. 9. and the hazard of returning, that many might sit down and live under the domini­on of Judah. We shall then take in the whole Kingdom of Samaria, or as commonly called, the King­dom of Israel, under the name and title of the 10 Tribes in this disquisition; because made up of far the greater part of both the Tribes and people, and also the quantity of Land and possessions. This Kingdom first raised to that di­stinct state and dignity by Jerobo­am Son of Nebat, was scituate in the North of Judah, and had at first Shechem for the Royal City, Then Tirzah, and lastly Samari­a.

In the first place let's enquire,1 [Page 32] whither these 10 Tribes were car­ried Captive.

For answer to this query, we find in sacred Page that the Land of Israel, was thrice assaulted by the Assyrian Emperors.

The 1st. impress made upon that Country, was by Pul, possibly Sardanapalus, as might be spoken to in reference to Nineve, and Scrip­ture Chronology. This was acted in the Reign of Menahem, who payd to him a 1000 Talents of Silver, and diverted him from any further attempts, only that the rod of Gods anger was shaken o­ver the Land.

The Second inrode was perfor­med by Tiglath-Peleser, Digloth Tigris. who seems to be the same with Belesis the 1st. King of the Assyrians after the revolt of the Medes. This Prince took many of their Cities, and conquered Gilead and Gali­lee, and all the Land of Napthali,2 K. 15. 29. and carried the People Captive to As­syria. He transported the Reube­nites, Gadites, and the half Tribe of Manasses,1 Chron. 5. 26. on the East of Jor­dan, [Page 33] unto Halak, and Habor, and Hara, and to the River Gozan. So that in the Book of Kings we find the Country mentioned at large, and in Chronicles the particular places to which they were convey­ed.

The 3d. and last aggress was managed by Salmanasser, mention­ed by Eusebius in his Greek Ca­non p. 46.2 K. 17. 6. 18. 11. who in the 9th of Ho­shea sweeped the Land of its in­habitants, and carried them to Ha­lak, and Habor, by the River Go­zan, and into the Cities of the Medes.

Hence we may observe in gene­ral, that the ten Tribes were car­ried into Assyria and Media; as to Media, no particular places are mentioned; but in Assyria, Halah, Habor, Hara and Gozan, the scituation whereof I shall a lit­tle examine.

1. Halah, written in the He­brew 1 with Cheth, [...] Chalach, which letter is sometimes turned into [...] and sometimes into [...] by the Greeks. The 70. (such as we have) [Page 34] read the text thus, [...] as if Hala, and Habor, were the names of 2 Rivers, along whose banks the Is­raelites were placed. [...] some think to be the Original of the name and people of Cholchis, between the Eux­ine and Caspian Seas, but they came from Cashuhim, Dionys. perieg. v. 689. in Aegypt, [...]. But we must seek it in Assyria, and according­ly we find a Country called Cala­cine Ptol. l. 6. [...]. 1. by Ptolomy, placed above A­diabene belonging to Assyria,. Strab. l. 11. p. 530. & l. 16. p. 736. Its termed Chalachena by Strabo, and seated in the North part of Assy­ria, between the River Tigris and Lycus, and separated from Armenia, by the Mountain Niphates. The inhabitants,Dionys perieg. v. 1015. it may be, are the [...] of Dionysius, if not the Calneh in Genesis and Isaiah, The Province at this day is called Chal­cal by Olearius. Olear. p. rea 1st. The chief Cities of old were Marde, Dithaba, (per­haps Bithlis now) Savara Bessara, &c. At this day those places are near unto, and South west of the Mountains Sehend and Etwend, and [Page 35] the Cities are Hemadan, Sultanie, and Senkan, for the River which runs a little West of Hemedan, I deem to be the ancient Lycus. The City Calicala, Alfragan. Golii. p. 245. id. p. 248. Nu­biens. p. 241. Plin. l. 6. c. 26. in North Lat. 41. in Alfraganus is called Hisan, or Hisan Cala at this day, and the same with Asan by Tigris in Or­telius, and the inhabitant Kalaeus, or as some Calichla, Pliny treating of these Countrys mentions the peo­ple Classitae per quos Lycus ex Ar­menia fertur, Bochart. l. 4. c. 19. p. 278. whom Bochart in his Phaleg corrects by Chalachitae, and cites the Talmud explaining Ha­lak, by Helvan, or Hulvan, lying South of Hemedan. The River Lycus is at this time called Zab, and is mentioned by the Nubian Geographer, and of old Zaba and Diava, Amianus l. 23. p. 454. edit. Lug. B. by Amianus which signi­fies a Wolf, whence this portion of Assyria was called Adiabene. Thus much for the first place ca­lled Halah, into which Israel was carried by the command nf the A­ssyrian Conqueror.

The Second place is styled Ha­bor, 2 Chabor in Hebrew, we may [Page 34] observe in Ptolomy, Prol. l. 6. c. 1. a Mountain, a River and a City, all of this name.

The Mountain Chaboras called Choatras in the Palatine Copy, is that which divides Assyria from Media, toward the North-West.

The River Chabor rises out of the Mountain Massius or Mash in the North of Mesopotamia, and is the same which in our Translati­on of Ezechiel, Ezech. 1. 1, 3. 3. 15. &c. Nubiens p. 196. and 203. is turned Chebar, by the Nubian, Alchabur, by Strabo [...], and by Amiamus Aboras. At this day Giulap.

The City Chabura, is set by Ptol­emy near the influxe of that River in­to Euphrates, so that stands in a triangle between both Rivers, which Amiamus an Eye-witness calls munimentum tutissimum & fa­bre politum, Amian. l. 23. p. 441. cujus maenia Abora & Euphrates ambiunt flumina velut spatium insulare fingentes, Quod Diocletianus exiguum adhuc & su­spectum, muris turribusque circum­dedit celsis, &c. A very strong Fortress and well built, whose Walls are washt by the Rivers A­boras and Euphrates, making as it [Page 35] were an Island, which being of old but little and dangerous, Diocle­sian compassed with high Walls and Towers. The Romans called it Cor­cusium in the notices of the East­erne Empire Circaesium, and is the same with the City Charchemish in Scripture, whither Pharaoh-Necoh King of Aegypt went up to Battel.Golius ib. p. 258. but more probably from [...] circus, mu­nitus locus. Fuller Miscel. l. 3. c. 2. By the Nubian Cquerquisia and now commonly Karkasa, and had its name saith Golius from setting forth Horses to a race; So that here we evidently discover another place with the Territories adjoyning, whither the Tribes of Israel were carried Captive.

The Third place is Hara, which 3 the learned Bochart would have to be Aria, Boch. l. 3. c. 14. p. 220. but let's not mistake him, for I find this Aria, to be the same with Algebal. Har signifies a Mountainous Tract as well as Gebal, and lyes on the North of Assyria near Media, which is evi­dent by some of the Cities of Al­gebal, to wit, Hamedan and Dai­nur lying near the places in Ha­lah before mentioned. But the A­ria [Page 38] of Ptolomy, lies East of Par­thia far hence to the South-East of the Caspian Sea, which appears plainly by Amianus, Apian. l. 23. p. 467 wherefore I judge this Aria or Gobal to be the true place (and not that of Ptolomy) on the North whereof runs the River Araxes now called Aras, rising out of the Mountain Pary­ardes or Ararat of Armenia: Ararat. with which agrees that Judicious Tra­veller Olearius, Olear. p. 296. edit 1669. describing the rise of Aras from the Mountains of A­rarat, in the South of which River lies the little Province Arsea, now likely Arzerum, Golin. Al­frag p. 246. and Arsareth in the Apochryphal Book of Esdras, Vleg-Beg in the Region of Aran, Uleg. p. 44. places the three Cities of Mochan, Bardach, and Sencarah, which seem to be Mekar, Berdah, and Tzen­kan of Olearius, Olear. p. 146. though a little North of Vleg-Beggs Mokan and is joyned to Media, Atropatia, or A­derbeitzan. whence it appears that our Aria here enquired, is no o­ther then the Province of Iran, scituate between the Rivers Arax­es and Cyrus, now called Aras and [Page 39] Kur, Aroes Plin. l. 6. c. 27. from which the City Ervan lies not far off, and this Country of Iran, I take to be the true Ha­ra, under our present inquisition, whither the Israelites were carried Captive, and extends it self upon the North of Assyria, and was part of ancient Media, and near the Ca­spian Sea.

Fourthly, Our next search must be 4 after Gozan, and the River of Gozan, Is. 37. 12. Although as yet I observe no River of that name, yet find both a City and a Territory call­ed Gauzanites. The Region Gau­zanites Ptolomy places in the North-East of Mesopotamia with the Ci­ty Gizana, Ptol. l. 5. c. 19. near the Springs of the River Chaboras, at the foot of the Mountain Masius, and not far West from Calacine in the Lat. 37. 15. and besides that, he places another City called Gauzanea in Media, Antropatea, or Tropatene in the La­titude of 40 d. 15 min, near the River Cyrus or Kir in Scripture,Amos 1. 5 whither the inhabitants of Damas­cus were carried Captive.Boch. in phaleg p. 220. The Learned Bochart asserts the City [Page 40] Ganzania to lye in the midway between the Mountain Chaboras and the Caspian Sea, and between the 2 streams of the River Cyrus, and conceives that probably it gave the ancient name of Gozan, both to the River and Country, before the days of Cyrus, and this I take to be the Scripture place, as being a City of the Medes, and near to the forementioned places whither these Tribes were carried; though I shall not need to contend about that other in the North of Meso­potamia, the latter it may be hav­ing been a Colony from the former, By what name its called at this day I cannot determine, unless it be the City of Zenken on the River Cy­rus not far from the Caspian Sea, and not much West of Schamaky a noble and great City of Modern Persia. This same place seems to be mentioned by Strabo, Strab. l. 11. p. 5. 23. by the name of Gaza, and placed in Me­dia Atropatia. Its true I find in Ptolomy a Gauzania, and a Gaza­ca, two distinct Cities in Media, Ptol. l. 6. c. 2. but that hinders not our acquiesc­ing [Page 41] in the former, knowing that Ptolomy, is somewhat confused in the delineation of the Rivers Araxes and Cyrus, and the Cities adjacent. Pliny puts Guza the City of Media, Plin. l. 6. c. 13. Atropatene, at 450 miles distance from Artaxata, and very probable is the same with Gazaca an emi­nent City of Media in Amianus and [...] in Constantin. Amian. l. 23. p. 459. Constan­tine de themat. l. 1. p. 31. Porphyrogen­neta who makes it a City of Chal­dia, so termed from the Chaldeans of whom they fetcht their Origine. which may be no other then Col­thene, with its City Gisma upon A­raxes in Ptolomy. To travel any further with the Ancient or Mo­derns would but tire us, since we have found out the Gozan of Scrip­ture to lye in Media, and near the Caspian Sea.

But before we unharness, it were not amiss to mention the Sabbati­cal River too much laught at by some; If they did but compare the Sambathiah in Seder Olam with the River Sabbatius in Ortelius, the River Zabatus in Xenophon, l. 2. Cyri. Zaba of Cedrenus, and Ni­ceph, [Page 42] callist. id. ib. which is the Ly­cus of Ptol. and Zab. major and mi­nor above said, The City Zombis in Amian, Amian. l. 23. p. 459. and [...] in Stephanus [...] and likely ist he same with the Candis in Ptolomy upon the River Cyrus, which Ami­mus affirms to have its name from Cyrus the Great, the old name be­ing abolisht which with other Ci­ties he places in terris Syromedorum in the Country of the Syrians of Media. Ezr. l. 2. c. 13. v. 40. 45. This may insinnuate that the estimated Fable of Ezra con­cerning the Israelites travelling from their first seat to some remoter pla­ces, as Arsareth, is nothing but a small remove to some more distant Cities North of Armenia, and near the Caspian Sea,l. 5. c. 13. where Ptolomy pla­ces the City Arsarata in Lat. 43. 30. on the River Araxis, and pos­sibly is the ancient name of the Modern City Arzerum, or near it,p. 246. Corp. Ju­ris civil. Gothfre­di. Authent. Col. Tom. 2. p. 98. mentioned by Golius out of Abul­feda. and very likely is no other then. Ariarsathea in the Authentical Collations.

From all the foresaid disquisition [Page 43] we may collect. 1. That I hope with submission to the Learned, that the true place is discovered, where these 10 Tribes were first seated, and from whence they did further Colonize, and spread and scatter about in various dispersi­ons by the Caspian Sea, and at length grew so numerous that part of the Regions of Media, received the denomination of Syro-Media, partly from the Tribes of Israel, and partly from the Syrians of Da­mascus, who were captivated into the Country of Kir, Amos 1. 5. (not Cyrene as some have imagined but) by the banks of the River Cyrus. To con­firm this assertion Ptolomy that great Astronomer and Geographer of Pelusium in Aegypt, Vossi. de Hist. gr. p. 482. says that this Syro-Media, did extend it self, [...] on the South of Media, all along the Borders of Persia, Ptol. l. 6. c. 2. Ezra 6. 2. Nay, Amimanus expresly determines Ecbatana the true Ach­metha in Ezra in the very Coun­try of the Syro-Medians.

2. We may infer that these ten Tribes were at first placed in the [Page 44] Northern Frontires of the Assyrian Empire towards part of Armenia, and Media, which were then under the Kings of the Medes, ever since the starting up of that Kingdom, at the fall of Sardanapalus, and the rising of Arbaces. But let thus much serve in answer to the first Query, whither the 10 Tribes were carried.

The 2d Question moved,2. Q. was, where these ten Tribes may probably yet seem to reside at this day?

In answer to this Query,A. I shall endeavour to shew from their first deportation by a chain or link of times, from age to age how we may discern as by a lamp of suc­cessive Writers, where to scituate their present residence.

As to the first place of their fixa­tion by the Conquering Assyrian; where should they be found? but where God himself says they were, so far forth as we have light from the Holy Scriptures of truth. But the Sacred Scripture directly asserts that [Page 45] at the time of the penning of that portion in the book of Kings, 2 K. 17. 23, 34, 41. that they were in those Cities of the Medes to this day, and that the Sama­ritans were placed in theit room to this day where also men­tion is made of their continuation to the 4th. Generation.1 Chron. 5. 26. The Au­thor also of the book of Chroni­cles declares the Israelites to re­side in those seats of their Cap­tivity, to the day of his writing. Now, whoever wrote that book or annexed the additions to it, (for it seems to be composed by parcels at the dictate of the Spirit of God)Lavater in 1 Chron. 1. 21. plainly recites the tenth Generati­on after the time of the Captivity of Judah, and yet had asserted the duration of Israel in the state of Captivity, so that they returned not when Judah came back again, but were still in their captivated station at the additionals to that book, yea even to the tenth Ge­neration. The Series whereof stands thus.

Zorobabel.

• 1 Hananiah v. 21.
• 2 Pelathiah and Jesaiah.
• [Page 46] 3 Rephaiah. v. 21.
• 4 Arnan.
• 5 Obadiah.
• 6 Shecaniah.
• 7 Shemajah.
• 8 Neariah.
• 9 Elioenaj.
• 10 Hodajah, &c. v. 25.

The Septuagint, the vulgar tran­slation, the Syriak and Arabick v. 21, read Et filius ejus, and his Son, as if they had found it in the Hebrew text, [...].

So that if we place Zorobabel at the building of the 2d Temple according to the learned Vsher, A. M. 3485. and give to each Ge­neration but 30 year, apeice, that is, in the whole 300, and add them to the year 3485, they produce the year of the world 3785. Un­till which time at the least by the testimony of Scripture the Israe­lites were still in a state of Capti­vity and dispersion. Though La­vater be of Opinion that these 10 Generations contain the progression of a linage to the very time of our [Page 47] blessed Lords Incarnation, which at present I shall leave in bivio, and undiscussed.

But I may not pass over an Ob­jection made to that expression,Obj. [there to this day] which arises from the same phrase applied to the Ark, although it were taken a­way at the Captivity of Judah.

To which it may be answered,A. that the text about the Ark must be considered with analogy to o­ther places. Now the History of the Kings and Chronicles does by clear consequence assert the Ark to be carried away,2 Chron. 36. 18. in that it a­ffirms that all the Vessels of the House of God, great and small, and the Treasures of the House of God were taken away, and that all the Vessels of Gold in the Temple,2 K. 24. 13. which Solomon had made, called the goodly Vessels of the House of the Lord, were carried away toge­ther with Jeconiah at his Captivi­ty;2 Chron. 36. 10. Lavater f. 212. wherefore Lavater sticks not to expound those general and com­prehensive expressions of the Ark, Tables and Candlesticks as well as [Page 48] of all the inferiour Vtensils and implements. So that though the Ark may be said to have bin in the Temple to the day when the for­mer part of that book was written, yet the last Chapter determines its removal among the other costly and glorious Ornaments of the first Temple.

But as to the ten Tribes, the sacred Author of that History ha­ving declared them to have con­tinued in Media at the time of his writing of that Chapter, neither Ezra or whoever might finish up that Chronicle, does in least measure intimate, the altera­tion of their estates, but leaves them there, without any notice of their reversion, but having asserted them to be carried thither, and to have persisted in their tragical state to the day of the exaration or penning of those books, even to the tenth Generation, which whether it concern a Genealogie of persons reaching to the Incar­nation of our Lord, though we cannot certainly determine yet how­ever [Page 49] ever for some hundreds of years after their deportacion.

In the next place we read of their remaining still in Captivity, in the days of Josephus, who wrote un­der the Reign of Vespasian, and his testimony, if worthy of any credit, ought to pass for currant as to matters of his own Nation Historically considered in his own time. In his books then of the Wars of the Jews, which were written before his antiquities, we read a speech made by King Agrip­pa to the Jews, wherein he ex­horts them to obey the Romans, and expostulates thus,Joseph de bell. l. 2. c. 28. gr. and 16 Lat. p. 808. and in prefat. ad bell. p. 705. [What, do you stretch your hopes beyond the Ri­ver Euphrates? Do any of you think that your fellow Tribes will come to your aid, out of Adiabene, Besides neither will they upon so un­reasonable account engage themselves in this so great a war, neither if they would assent to so evil an en­terprise, will the Parthian permit it, &c.] Whence we learn, that in the account of Josephus in an Oration to the Jews themselves, [Page 50] the Israelites or 10 Tribes were still resident in Adiabene, the Coun­try so called beyond Mesopotamia, from the River Ahava, or Adia­ba or Lycus, as we have before recited:Antiq. [...] 20. [...]. 9. again, in his book of An­tiquities (which he testifies to have written in the 13th year of Do­mitian and the 56th of his own age) reciting the return of Esdras, he asserts that (the [...]) those of the same Nation in Me­dia, having received a Copy of the Letter of the King of Persia, were overjoyed, and that many of them came to Babylon, with a desire to return to Jerusalem, and then adds further, [...]. But the whole body of the People remained still in that Country, that is, of Media, so that onely 2 Tribes residing in A­sia and Europe are obedient to the Romans. Antiq. l. 11. c. 5. [...]. 368. But the ten Tribes [...] they are yet still beyond Euphrates, many ten thousands not [Page 51] to be reckoned or their num­bers to be known, which concords with the Prophecy of Ezechiel, that there are some of Israel mixt with Judah, but all the House of Israel, that is, far the greater part, and therefore more genuinely to be called the House of Israel, Ezek 37. 16. were the Companions of Ephraim, and both are to be united into one bo­dy, in the latter day, and brought into their own Land, and become one Kingdome under David the second, the Messiah, and anointed Prince of the Covenant for e­ver.

But as to the testimony of Jose­phus, what can be more plainly ex­prest then, that the ten Tribes were yet still in the Land of Me­dia, under the Parthian Princes, and that even to innmerable mul­titudes in his days, and this by the King of the Jews in the hearing both of Jews and Romans? and though some of them had former­ly come up with Judah, yet the main body of the ten Tribes re­mained [Page 52] still to that day in their old habitations.

To proceed,Esdr. l. 2. c. 13. v. 40. 45. the Author of the Book of Esdras writes a Story of the travel of the 10 Tribes into Regions far distant from their first settlement, under the name of Ar­sareth, let the merit of that Story be what it will, I improve it for no other scope then a testimony a­mong the Jews, that their fellow Tribes were then in his days in a state of irreduction. The Author of that Tract lived and wrote about the year of our Lord 100 and a­bout 30 years after the ruine of Jerusalem, Rainold praelect Apocr. 153 p. 400. Tom. 2. Oppenheim. 1611. Orig. in Jerem. Tom. 4. p. 6 [...]. Tom. 1. Tr. lat. d. 1668. as the Learned Dr. John Rainolds hath exhibited in his prelections upon the Apochryphal Books.

The next testimony shall be out of Origen, who speaking of Israel distinct from Judah that he sinned against God under Jeroboam, so greatly, that he was delivered in­to the hands of Assyria, [...] as the Scripture saith to this very day, wherein he seems to continue that [Page 53] Scripture expression to his own time, there being no token or ti­dings of their return.Huetius in Origen Voli. 1. prefat p. 23. Now Ori­gen dyed in the year of our Lord 254.

Let the good Anchorite at Beth­tem succeed, who in his Comment upon Joel on these words of the holy Prophet Chap. 3. 6. The Children of Judah and Jerusalem, &c. ye have sold to the Graecians. Thus Jerome, Jerom Tom. 6. p. 80. h. Filii Juda & Jeru­salem néquaquam Israel & decem tribuum, quae us (que) hodie in Medorum Vrbibus & Montibus habitant. The ten Tribes dwell in the Cities and Mountains of Media to this very day. And treating again about the same Tribes in his notes upon Hoseah, Tom. 6. p. 7. hath these words [us (que), ho­die Persarum regibus serviunt & nunquam est earum soluta Captivi­tatis] They serve the Persian Prin­ces to this very day, and their Captivity hath never yet bin releas­ed. Now Jerome dyed in the year of our Lord 421.

With this age likewise concursl. 2. c. 55. Sulpitius Soverns who wrote 45 [Page 54] years after the Consulship of Ar­bitio and Lollianus, A. C. 355. and that fell in with the year 400. These are his words [decem vero (i. e. tribus) per Parthos, l. 2. c. 16. p. 321. Ed. Lug. B. 1654. Medos, Indos, at (que) Aeihiopas dispersae, nun­quam in solum patrium sunt regre­ssae, bodie (que) barbararum gentium im­periis continentur. But the ten Tribes dispersed among the Par­thians, Medes, Indians and Aethi­opians, never returned to their an­cient inheritance, but are subject to the Seepter of Barbarous Prin­ces. This Author flourished about the year of our Lord 420 as Tri­themius and Bellarmine witness in their Tracts of Ecclesiastical wri­ters,Trithem. f. 26. b. Bellar. P. 139. I might insert a story out of Orosius, l. 3. c. 7. about the Jews in Hircania, and Eusebius Chron. p. 136. but I shall not inlarge.

The next witness may be taken from Benjamin the Jew of Tudela in Spain who travelled and wroteBenjamini Itinerari­um, p. 10. under the Pontificate of Alexan­der, the third, and finisht his ram­blings A. [...]. 185. 1173. as L'Empereur ob­serves in his notes upon that itine­rary, [Page 55] he acquaints us that in the City of Samarcand, the Seat of Tamerlane that great Tartarian Conqueror, there were near 50000 Israelites under the Presidency of Rabbi Obadiah, and that in the Mountains and Cities of Nisbor there be 4 Tribes of Israel resi­dent sc. p. 97 of Dan, Zabulon, Asher and Napthali, perhaps the Ephtha­litae of Theophanes, p. 79. and the Euthalitae of Procopius p. 67. (in Photius his Bibliotheca) which Sal­manasser had carried Captive. Now although several passages in that Treatise seem incongruous and be­yond credit, yer so far he may be admitted as to joyn issue with the harmonious Opinion still current among the Jews, that their Bre­thren of Israel or ten Tribes still remain in the North and North-East parts of Persia.

Mathew Paris may follow as a further witness about the Jews in his time,Mat. Pari p. 564. edit Lond 1640. attempting to convey Armes in Barrels to the Tartars, for their aid against the Christians in the East, believing that the [Page 56] Commons of Tartary were of the Race of those Israelites, whom A­lexander of old had shut with­in the Caspian Mountains, The Story is too long for recital which he mentions in the year 1241. and is rehearsed onely to our purpose, that it was then a current Opinion that the Tartars and Cumans near the Castle Cumania, in the Straights of Caucasus, (Plin. l. 6. c. 11.) were of the Posterity of Israel, and as yet in his time in their state of dis­persion by the Caspian Sea.

To this purpose I would not let slip what I met with in Bradwar­din, Bradward de causâ dei. p. 40. that famous Champion of free grace, who treating about Miracles, writes from the Scholastical Histo­ry of Petrus Comestor, p. 40. as I suppose, that when Alexander the great had prayed the God of Israel to shut up the ten Tribes within the Ca­spian Mountains, they met toge­ther among the Streights and pre­cipices, and made the place unpassa­ble, This Learned and Pious Au­thor died Anno. 1349.

The last to be now mentioned is [Page 57] Dr. Giles Fletcher, who being Agent for Q. Elizabeth in Moschovy which borders upon the North-West of Media, endeavoured in an enquiry after the ten Tribes of Israel, and upon search into that point wrote that little Tract preceding this dis­sertation, wherein he gives in a fairer and more probable account that the Tartarians about Samar­chand on the East side of the Ca­spian Sea may be in part the Pro­geny of the Israelites, carried a­way by Salmanasser out of the Land of Canaan, I leave it to the judg­ment of the candid and pious rea­der. I shall mention but a few things and so come to an end.

The first is to reconcile that wor­thy Author to the Opinion of some, that the ten Tribes might be found out partly among the Alani, as well other barbarous Nations near the Caspian. Amian. l. 23. p. 44 and Nige Geog. As. l. 7. p. 561. For if Amimanus Mar­cellinus be consulted who was in the Army of Julian, he tells us that the Albani and Massagetae so called of old were the same peo­ple which were in his time called [Page 58] the Alans near the Caspian Lakes, But I insist not upon that, were we to make a strict and compleat en­quiry, we might follow the coun­sel of Eustathius upon Dionysius, Eustath. Com. p. 93. de­termining the Cholchi to be a Colo­ny of the Aegyptians, (possibly from Casluchim.) he argues from the same hair, Crisp and Woolly, the same customes, as Circumci­sion and Linnen-garments, and the same Language. It were expedi­ent to use the method of Caesar, Tacitus and others, to consider not only the Towns of the same deno­mination, but their Religion in some depraved reliques, their Language in its primitive words, their ha­bits and customes, and the gene­ral Tradition among themselves and neighbours, if we would deter­mine any thing clearly and satis­factorily about the Origine of Na­tions.

I know that Isidorus Characenus in his Greek Geography,Isidor. Char. 8. p. 188. when he comes to Bactriana mentions 3 Cities there, sc. Gadar, and Se­phri and Phra, which may seem to [Page 59] be like to some names of Israels Land, as Gedor and Sephor, and O­phra, But this without other cir­cumstances is to indulge fancy. I know Ortelius in his Charts is ve­ry liberal in this point, and paints out to us the Hoord of the Da­nites and Napthalites and some Ci­ties, as Corason and Tabor, and Sherachiek for Jericho and the like, but I fear this is [...] to serve a conceit by allusi­ons of names, or else to speak soft­ly, I could wish he had enlarged upon some attending reasons of more weight.

Our forecited Benjamin assertsp. 96. that there were in his time almost 50000 Israelites in the City Hem­dan in North-Persia, and that Mor­decai and Ester lye buried near a Synagogue in that City, but I leave him for better instruction to the ruler of that Synagogue. But as to the City that many Jews might be scatterd up and down thereabouts, its not utterly incre­dible, it was of old a principal Ci­ty in Media, and is called Vrbs [Page 60] Medena by Trogus, Justin. l. 42. c. 3. and by Isidor of Sevil. Its often mentioned by the Nubian Author in the 6.Isidor H [...]s­pal. l. 15. c. 1. part of the fourteenth Climate, &c. Its termed Medino in the plats of Ortelius, Nub. p. 205. Hamedan in Vleg-Beg, and set in the 35 gr. Uleg. p. 50. and 10. min. of North Latitude. Its put down by Alfergamus and Golius upon him,Gol. p. 220 5 days jorney West of Kom in Par­thia.

I have little more to observe at present in this subject but what the ingenious Olearius acquainrs us about the Circassian Tartars, Olear. p. 310. 2d. edit. Lond. 1669. (whom the worthy Dr. Fleteher makes one of the ten Hoords of the Israelitish Tribes (that they live in and about Terki, (whence the Turks name is probably deduced) by the Caspian Sea.

1. That the Brother raises up seed to the deceased Brother.

2. That they are circumcised.

3. That they offer sacrifice on the day of Elias.

4. That they offer a He-goat in Sacrifice at the death of friends,Marc. Paul l. 1. c. 55.

5. Marcus Paulus the Venetian [Page 61] in his first Book of his oriental tra­vels, acquaints us that the Tartari­ans give liberty to the surviving Brother to marry the Wife of the deceased Brother, and that they re­ceive no portions of their Wives, but assign a dowry both to them and their Mothers. And further,

6.p. 214. Its mentioned by Olearius that there is a City called Samara North of Astracan, near those Coasts. Which things do in some measure savour of the forementi­oned Opinion about the Israelites, that some confused and intermixed remains are lodged upon the West as well as the East side of the Ca­spian.

But thus much as to the dissipa­tion, of the ten Tribes in Media, and among the Mountainous tracts of Caucasus, leaving the fuller cer­tainty to further discoveries of Merchants and Travellers, and the labours of such who please to wade amidst the conjectures of the learn­ed Pro and Con, Breer­wood p. 94. as Breerwood in his enquiries, Nicolas Fuller in his Miscellanies,Fuller l. 2. c. 5. Shickard in his Ta­rich [Page 62] or Kings of Persia, Morney in his discourse of the truth of the Christian Religion, Hornbeck a­gainst the Jews, The Author of the Turkish History,p. 1, 2. Lazius and other writers of the Persian and Moschovy Nations composed into 2 Volumnes who have inlarged a­bout plantations and deductions of Colonies.

As for the 2 Tribes which were scattered by Titus, Hadrian and o­thers of the Romans, being not my design, I shall onely remember that they are well known in most parts of the World, scarce a territory in Europe, but affords many. In some parts of Africa very plenteously, In Asia there are great multitudes, yea, and in America they are trad­ing up and down in several quar­ters, but that the ten Tribes by the Streights of Anian, or any o­ther imagined passage should have conveyed themselves as to their maine body into America, is a far­fetcht Notion, embraced by Ma­nasseh Ben Israel, &c. p. 33. rejected by Acosta de Laet, Hornius, &c. But [Page 63] leaving that to conflict, I proceed to the third Question.

3. Question, 3. Q. whether the ten Tribes shall return out of their dispersion?

To which I reply, that I am ful­ly perswaded that the reduction of the ten Tribes from their great and ancient dispersion to their own Land is a Scripture truth though not yet accomplished, in evidence whereto I shall give in several ar­guments from the sacred records.

1.Arg. 1 They are prophecied to return out of their dispersion after the ma­nifestation of the Messiah. The Psalmist having sung the ascensi­on of Christ then treats of his wounding the head of his enemies,Ps. 68. 18. and bringing his people again from Bashan, v. 22. and again from the depths of the Sea, i. e. as in the days of old, The Prophet Isaiah having spoken ofIs. 11. 1. Christs coming forth of the Stem of Jesse, v. 10 declares that when the Gentiles shall have been converted, then the Lord will set his hand again the se­condtime to recover the remnant of his v. 11. [Page 66] people and that not of Judah one­ly,v. 12. for Ephraim i. e. v. 13. The ten Tribes must be restored, and the Out­casts of Israel, and the two King­doms shall envy one another no more, and this ascension must be as when Israel came up out of the Land of Aegypt, i. e. when all the 12 Tribes came out of that anci­ent bondage.

But not to transcribe any more, I desire to refer the studious in these Prophecies to Scriptures of the like Analogy, as Isai. 49. 6. and 60. 21. Jer. 30. 3. and 33. 15. and 50. 19. Ezek. 37. 21. Hos. 2. 19. and 3. 5. Joel 3. 1. 10. Amos 9. 11. 14. explained by Acts 15. 16, Zech. 10. 10. which Scriptures manifestly exhibit this truth, that the return of Israel is to be per­formed after our blessed Lords In­carnation, and after the great Con­version of the Gentiles is accom­plished, but the Tribes of Israel never returned out of their various dispersions since the manifestation of our blessed Saviour, and there­fore that promise to the seed of A­braham [Page 65] remains yet to be fulfilled. Wherefore whatever parcels of those Tribes might come up out of Media at the return of Judah, from the Babylonian Captivity, doth no ways arise to the dignity and lustre of those prohecies, which are connext with the glorious days of the Messiah.

2.Arg. 2 These Tribes are to return with a conversion to the Messiah and his Law. To this point the Prophet Hosea speakes expresly as to the Children of Israel, in gene­ral that after their rejection for their spiritual whoredome they shallHos. 1. 10. 11. become the Sons of the living God and that the Children of Juda and Israel, shall be gathered together and appoint themselves one head and shall come up out of the Land, i. e. of their dispersion. This re­turn is further accomplished in the 3 Chapter,Hos. 3. 4. that after they have bin many days without a King or Prince or sacrifice, &c, which was not ve­rified upon all the Tribes till the Incarnation of our Lord, Then shall they return after those days [Page 66] of the intermission of government, and seek the Lord their God, and David their King, and fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days, This is the day spoken of by the Prophet Zephany when the Lord will forme to his People i. e. of Israel a pure language,Zeph. 2. 9. that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent from beyond the Rivers of Ethiopia or Cush, not that Ethio­pia South of Aegypt, but the Ea­sterne Cush which was compassed by the River Gihon, Gen. 2. 13. or Gyndes, a branch of Euphrates which ran down upon the East side of Ara­bia, where the people of Cush or Cushim did anciently inhabit, which is as much as to say, the people which were scattered beyond Eu­phrates and its branches in Persia and Media, shall return to their own Land, and be converted when God will save her that halted that is, In point of Worship between God and Baal, and gather her that was driven out, i. e. by the Assy­rians, and bring them again to their [Page 67] own Land, and get them a name and a Praise among all the People of the Earth. This shall be per­formed In that day, when God will rise up to the Prey, assemble the Kingdomes,v. 8. and pour out his in­dignation, even all his fierce anger, and all the Earth shall be devoured with the fire of his Jealousie, and God will undo all that have afflicted his People. This Famous Day shines sorth yet more clearly by the illu­minated Pen of the Prophet Zecha­ry, when God will save the Tents of Judah first:Zech. 12. 7. that the glory of the House of David, and of the In­habitants of Jerusalem, i. e. of all the Tribes, as they were under Da­vid at Jerusalem, in one united Kingdome, may not magnifie them­selves against Judah. It is his spe­cial grace to save the Jews in the first place, before the ten Tribes be fully returned. In that day God will pour out upon the House of Da­vid, &c. i. e. the whole Kingdom of David, the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, v. 10. and they shall look upon him, whom they have pierced, and [Page 68] mourn, and be in Bitterness as for the First-Born, and as for Josiah at Hadadrimmon, or Maximiano­polis in Jerom, a little Town near Megiddo in the Valley of Jezreel, where that godly Prince was slain. That we may be further assured of the right application of these and the like Prophecies, the Spirit of God is a most clear witness by the Mouth of Holy Paul, applying two Texts of Isaiah to this purpose.Rom. 11. 26, 27. Is. 27. 9. and 59. 20. One, That Gods great design by all the afflictions of his Israel, is to purge iniquity, and take away their sin. Then In that day he will ga­ther the Children of Israel One, by One,v. 13. i. e. Every one to a man out of their Captivity from Assyria, and they shall worship the Lord in the Holy Mountain at Jerusalem. The other more especially, that The Re­deemer shall come to Zion, and to them that turn from transgression in Ja­cob: Now saith Paul, this is the Mystery, both as to the matter and time, that though blindnēss or hard­ness of heart is happened in part to Israel, yet that shall endure no [Page 69] longer then till the Fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, that is till their full time be accomplished so long to continue as the utter deso­lation shall last: Then all Israel shall be saved:Is. 6. 10. 2 Cor. 3. 16. Paraeus p. 221. in Rom. Then this Veil shall be taken away, and their hearts tur­ned to the Lord. The First Fruits of Israel were reaped in the Apo­stles days, but the full Harvest, the Joyful Day of their full and com­pleat Conversion shall not be till the days of the Gentiles be come to a period:John 11. 52. then the Messiah will ga­ther into one the Children of God that were scattered abroad. Let us then re-assume the Argument, and con­clude: That since the Return of Israel is to be attended with a glori­ous Conversion to the Gospel; And since it hath never yet been ac­complished from the time of their Dispersion, or the setting out of those Splendid Prophecies; that it still remains to be fulfilled to the joy of Israel, and the comfort of all the Church, both Jews and Gentiles, to be united in one Flock, under one Shepherd, and to the honour of Di­vine [Page 70] Mercy, which in the latter days will shine out from the second Mount Paran, when God will ride upon his Horses and Chariots of Salvation. For so I understand both that verse,Hab. 3. 8. See Rivet on Hos. 8. 8. &c. and the whole third Chap­ter of Habakkuk in the future tense, as a Prophecy of the glorious times of the latter day, as yet remaining to be accomplished.

3. The Tribes of Israel are to return into their own Land,3. Arg. Ezek. 38. and 39. at, or about the time of the Destruction of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel. But the Ruine and Extirpation of those Nations, signified by Gog, &c. as yet rests under the conduct of Pro­vidence to be fulfilled, and therefore those Tribes were never yet resto­red to their glorious State, but re­mains still to be effected in the lat­ter day. Who these People are that shall come like Stormes up­on the Mountains of Israel, I shall not here stand to discuss, but rest with the general apprehension of many learned, that they denote the Turks, who came Originally from [Page 71] between the Euxine and Caspian Seas conjoyned with Mesech, who were planted at first by the Montes Moschici in Cappadocia and Tubal, or the Tubareni in the adjacent Coasts. Some think the [...] in Strabo, l. 11. p. 523. placed in North of Media, to be these People, Ortel. They had their name from Terk and Tork, that signifies a Shepherd, those Countries being used to Pasturage and wafting up and down, like the Nomades, in Carts and Waggons with their Cattel, and are most likely the Turcoe in Pliny and Mela, Plin. l. 6. c. 7. Mela. l. 1. c. 20. and have left a notable remain of their Name in the City Terki, so called at this day on the West side of the Caspian. Give leave also to represent one Text of Scripture a­bout Gogs ruine in the latter days mentioned in Balaam's Prophecy, according to the Samaritan Copy of the Pentateuch, where speaking of the latter times of the World, He saith in our versions,Numb. 24. 7. Israels King shall be higher then Agag, and his Kingdomes shall be exalt­ed. The Samaritan reads it, and [Page 72] so the Seventy, He shall be exalted above Gog. Not to argue about the Authentickness of that Lection at present; let it suffice, that ac­cording to that ancient reading, Is­rael is to be exalted above the Kingdoms of Gog in the latter days; that is, above the Turk, as we ap­prehend by consideration of Ezeki­el, who acquaints us that the LordEzek, 38. 17. had spoken of old concerning Gog and his ruine by his Prophets in former times. But as yet the Turk is in great Splendor, though we hope his Crescent is a waining, and tending to his fatal Eclipse, and Period, as might be further eviden­ced by the finishing of the second Wo-Trumpet in the Revelations, Rev. 11. 14. at the rising of the Witnesses.

4.Arg. 4 The Tribes of Israel are to rule over their Babylonian Ene­mies, and all their ancient Oppres­sors. They never returned as yet, to enjoy a Kingdom, sui juris: but after the return of Judah from Ba­bylon, were as a Province inserted into another Empire of the Persi­ans, [Page 73] the Ptolomies, the Syrians, or the Romans, &c. Therefore the promised State of an absolute or glorious Kingdome to rule over their enemies was never yet fulfilled, and remains to be accomplished. When God shall raise up Judah and Ephraim, Zach. 9. 13. and the Sons of Zion, against the Sons of Greece or Javan. Who are the Sons of Javan, but the people that live under Gog and Ma­gog? Gen. 10. 3 and who is the present Pos­sessor of Greece, but the Turkish Gog? And who is the Assyrian in the Land of Judah? but the Otto­man Family: Who holds part of the Ancient Assyria and all the Land of Canaan, under his Da­maseen Scymiter, at this day: But Israel is to Captivate those in the latter day, that had led them Cap­tives in former times. Now this hath never been fulfilled to this mo­ment, and therefore rests under the veracity of God to accomplish to his Ancient People.Is. 14. 2. They shall possess them in the Land of the Lord for Servants and Hand-Maids, and they shall take them Captive, [Page 74] whose Captives they were, and shall rule over their Oppressors. The Nation and Kingdom that will not serve Israel shall perish, Is. 60. 12. yea, those Nations shall be utterly wasted: The Sons of them that have afflicted Is­rael,v. 14 shall come bending to them, and all that despised them, shall bow them­selves down at the soles of his feet. In like manner the Lord threatens the Tyrians that sold his People to the Grecians, Joel. 3. 8. that God will sell their Children to Judah, and they shall sell them as Captives to the Sabeans in Arabia. Who are the Tyrians at this day but the Turk, who rules longè late (que) all round the Phaenician Shores?Zech. 14, 17, 18. Further, the Lord commands all Nations in the latter day to come up to Jerusalem, and keep the Feast of Tabernacles, The Feast of Israels Deliverance from the House of Bondage, and the Feast of the [...], or the Incarnation of our Lord, of his Ta­bernacling in our Nature upon Earth, i. e. to Worship the great Messiah, and Lord of our Redemp­tion: And if any of all the Families [Page 75] of the Earth shall not obey this Command, the Lord will smite them with Famine, if they come not up to Worship King David the Lord of Hosts at Jerusalem, in the latter day. This glorious De­liverance of Israel shall not dawn till the times of the Gentiles are ful­filled. So long saith our Lord shall Jerusalem be trodden under foot,Luk. 21. 24. or as the Apostle Paul expresses [...] the [...], the Fulness of the Gentiles be come in. i. e. [...] 25. the fulness of time, or the full time of the Gen­tiles Dominion in the World. Now 'tis frequent in Scripture Phrase to set forth the End of a Nation, its Glory, its Power and Prosperity, and its Dominion, by the time or times of such a Land or Nation, its fixed period predetermined and foreappointed of God, as you may observe, Isai. 13. 22. Jer. 27. 7. and 50. 27, 31. Ezek. 7. 7, 12, and 22. 3. and 30. 3.

5.Arg. 5 They are to possess a far lar­ger Country, then ever they did since they were a People.Is. 27. 122 In that [Page 76] day, the Lord shall beat off from the Chanel of the River, unto the Stream of Egypt, i. e. drive their enemies from the River Euphrates, to Si­hor, or the little Stream at the en­trance into Egypt, and the Domi­nion of David, the second shall be from the River (Euphrates) to the Ends of the Earth, i. e. to the Sea Shore,Zech. 9. 10. Ps. 72. 8. Ps. 80. [...]. He shall have Dominion from Sea to Sea, and from the River unto the Ends of the Earth. I will set (saith the Lord) his hand in the Sea, and his right hand in the Rivers, i. e. His Power and Dominion. Israel must enjoy whatever was contained in that ample Charter given to Abraham, as may be more fully ex­pressed in the sequel of this Tract. They rise not up to the Dignity of the Promise, who cut them short of that large possession granted to their Fathers of old, from Euphra­tes to the entring in of Egypt: though they tell us, that David and Solomon, possessed the Promised Country by Garrisons, yet let them remind that those Princes held also by the same tenure of tribute, Edom, [Page 77] Moab, and Ammon, and the Chil­dren of the East. When some fur­ther add, that Israel fell short of the Promise by Sin, that's not co­gent, for so they might have fallen short of all,Deut. 9. 6. and the Lord acquaints them that he chose them them not to be his People for their greatness or worth, and therefore brought them into Canaan at the first, but to get himself a glorious Name. Nay, he is pleased to tell them, that after he had appointed them three Cities of refuge on the East of Jordan,Deut. 4. 41. and again, three more to be stated on the West of Jor­dan, in the Land whither they were a going: that when the Lord should enlarge their Coast to give them allDeut. 19. 8, 9. the Land whereof he had sworn to their Fathers, that they should add three Cities more, that is nine in all, because of the Largeness and amplitude of their Territory, and it is observed, that the Lord is ne­ver in Scripture said to sware, but that thing was accomplished; which as yet is not fulfilled to this very day. If then they of the South did [Page 78] never yet possess Edom, nor they of the Plain,Obad. 19. &c. the Fields of Ephraim, nor Benjamin the Country of Gi­lead: It rests a Prophecy as yet unfulfilled to this day. To under­stand the literal sence of this Prophe­cy: We must call to mind that the Tribe of Judahs Country was di­vided into three parts;Josh. 15. 21. Negeb, or the South toward Arad and Ama­lek; Sephela, or the Plain toward the Philistines, and the Mountains from Jerusalem to Hebron. Ac­cording to this division a difficult Scripture may be cleared,Gen. 131. wherein Abraham is said to ascend from E­gypt into the South; but all the Land of Canaan lay North-East from Egypt, but he went into this Country or third division of Judah called Negeb, or the South Land, and so likewise that of the Psalmist, Ps. 126. 4, where the Churches Captivity is said to be returned as the Streams in the South, i. e. as Davids Fa­mily was returned to him by the Streams of Bezor in Negeb, 1 Sam. 30. 9 the Southern barren Desert of Judah toward Edom. But I proceed to a 6th.

[Page 79] 6.Arg. 6 They are to return to such a State of Grandeur and Magnificence that the Nations and their Kings shall come with Presents to Jerusalem, and shall admire the beauty of their rising:Is. 60. 3. The Gen­tiles shall come to their light, and Kings shall adore their brightness. They shall suck the Milk of the Gen­tiles and the Breasts of Kings, 16. In which sense we are to understand that place,c. 49. 22. 23. that Kings shall be Nur­sing-Fathers, and Queens Nursing-Mothers to New Jerusalem, in bring­ing all the forces of the Gentiles, to serve the Lord in Zion. c. 66. 18 20, &c. I will ga­ther all Nations says the Lord, and all tongues, and they shall come and see my glory, Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, Tubal and Javan, &c. And they shall bring your Bre­thren for an Offering to the Lord, out of all Nations, when the Lord shall create new Heavens, and a new Earth to remain before him. To which Prophecies the Holy Spirit points quasi indice digite, in that great & glorious Scheme of the New-Je­rusalem, drawn by the Pen of holy [Page 80] John, Rev. 21. 24 when the Nations of them that are saved, shall walk in the light of it, and the Kings of the Earth shall bring their glory and their honour into it. To which may be annexed, what Haggai and Zechary predict of the glorious time,Hag. 2. 22. Zech. 2. 11. after the Second Temple: they Prophecy after the Restitution of Judah from the first or Babylonian Captivity, that there shall be more glorious times for Israel, then ever they had under the First Temple, and under their ancient Kings David and Solomon, they are to see under the Messiah (who was to be the glory of the Se­cond Temple) happier times then, ever they had before. But alas! the Restauration granted by the Persian Princes was mixed with much tribu­lation, and afterward with great Per­secution under the Graecian or Antiochian Princes, and at last those 2 Tribes underwent a fatal exter­mination by the Romans. But af­ter these times of great sorrow and misery, the Lord promises so great a commotion of the Nations as ne­ver was before, and such as shall [Page 81] end in the great glory of Israel: For then the very Thrones of Na­tions shall be shaken in peices; not only the Riders, but their very Chariots shall be overthrown, and the Horses also destroyed, and this shall be performed by Civil Wars, and mutual dissentions among themselves, every one shall fall by the hand of his Brother, Hag. 2. 22. there shall be great tumults, Zach. 14. 13. and every ones hand shall be against his Neighbour. Is. 30. 26. In that day the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun, and the light of the Sun shall be seven-fold, as the light of seven days, when the Lord shall bind up the Breach of his People, and heal the stroke of their wound.

7.Arg. 7 They are to return as at the first, when Israel came out of Egypt: that is, all the Twelve Tribes are to be raised out of their various Dispersions from all Quarters of the Earth, and inhabit their An­cient Land together:Mic. 7. 14, 15. They shall feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of Old, according to the days of their [Page 82] coming out of the Land of Egypt, will the Lord shew unto them mar­velous things; Deut. 32. 43. when the Nations shall rejoyce with his People, be­cause he will avenge the bloud of his Servants, and render Vengeance to their adversaries, and will be merciful to his Land, and to his People: c. 31. 30. Rom. 15. 10, 11, 12. which words spake Moses in the Ears of all the Congregation of Israel. Which holy Paul ap­plys to the Conversion of the Gen­tiles and Israel together in the lat­ter day, when God will cause not only the Captivity of Judah, but the Captivity of Israel also,Jer. 33. 7. as di­stinct from Judah, to return, and will build them as at the first, 11. and cause the Captivity of the Land, to return as at the first; 17. and there shall never want a man to sit up­on the Throne of the House of Israel, when the whole House of Israel shall be raised up again;Ezek. 37. 11. and which is most remarkable against some Objectors about Israels being mixt with Judah, that the Lord appoints two Sticks for a sign in the hand of the Prophet. One [Page 83] stick or Rod,16. or Scepter for Judah, and some portions of Israel their Companions, and another Stick for Joseph or Ephraim, and all the house of Israel his Companions and they are to be joyned into one stick, 21. For saith the Lord, I will take the Children of Israel from among the Heathen whi­ther they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own Land; 22. and I will make them one Nation in the Land upon the Mountains of Israel, and one King shall be King to them all, and they shall be no more two Nations, nei­ther shall they be divided into two Kingdomes any more at all; 25. and my Servant David shall be their Prince for ever, 26. and I will set my Sanct­uary in the midst of them for ever­more; Jer. 30. 18 In those days Jerusalem shall be built upon her own heap, i. e. in the ancient place of its Rubbish and ruins, whereas now a great part of the City is removed West­ward by Hadrian, and compassed in Mount Golgatha, and excludes the Castle of Zion, Zech. 14. 10. but then the City shall be listed up out of her [Page 84] ruins,Jer. 30. 3. and inhabited in the same place. When God shall bring again the Captivity both of Israel and Judah into the Land which he gave to their Fathers, and they shall pos­sess it; when they shall serve the the Lord their God, 9. and David their King whom he will raise up to them: And this is over and over prophecied to Jacob, that he shall return, not only Judah, 10, 18. but all the Seed of Jacob, and they shall fear no more, Jer. 31. 36 and that the Lord will disanul the Ordinances of Heaven, before they shall cease from being a Nation before him for ever; even the two Families which the Lord hath Chosen, Jer. 33. 24. the Seed of Jacob, he will break first his Covenant with Day and Night,26. and reject his Or­dinances both of Heaven and Earth. He will heal their back sliding, Hos. 14. 4, 5. and love them freely, for his anger is tur­ned away from them, where that holy Prophet treats through that whole Chapter of the excellent State of Ephraim, or the ten Tribes in the latter day.

8.Arg. 8 The last Argument to prove [Page 85] that the ten Tribes have not attain­ed their promised Felicity, to this day, but rests under divine good pleasure to be accomplished, is this, That if those Scriptures are to be construed in reference to a delive­rance mixt with Judah, by the In­dulgence of the Persian Princes of old: then must they never have been brought under any farther yoke of Captivity, or misery of di­spersion, which all that were mixt with Judah did undergo by the fa­tal stroke of the Romans. But the Holy Scriptures do promise that when they are reduced to their own Land, they shall never remove more. Not to insist upon that place in the Lamentations, Lam. 4. 22. that they shall no more be carried into Captivity, since that Text refers unto Judah and Edom, sc. that Edom shall never more have any influence upon Judah in aiding the Babylonian against him, which their sin is sorely threat­ned by several of the Holy Pro­phets. But there be several Scrip­tures more pregnant and clear.Isai. 64. Thou shalt no more be termed forsaken, nei­ther [Page 86] shall thy Land be any more term­ed desolate. Jer. 31. 12. 40. They shall not sorrow any more at all. The City shall be no more plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever. 30. 8. Strangers shall no more serve themselves of Jacob. They shall no more be a prey to the Heathen, Ezek. 34. 28, 29, neither shall they bear the shame of the Heathen any more. The Lord will cause the men of Israel to walk upon their Mountains, and they shall no more bereave Israel of his men, c. 36. 12, 14, 15. by the sword of battel, and they shall dwell in the Land that he gave unto Jacob his Servant, where­in their fathers have dwelt, c. 37. 25, 28. they and their Childrens Children for ever. God will so fully and amply reduce them out of their several scatterings and dispersions, that they shall leave none behind them, and Judah shall dwell for ever, c. 39. 28. Joel 3. 20. and Jerusalem from Generation to Generation. The Lord will bring again the Captivity of his People Israel,Amos 9. 14, 15. and they shall build the wast Cities and inhabit them, they shall plant Vineyards, and they (not their enemies) shall drink the Wine; they shall make Gardens, and eat the [Page 87] fruit of them, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their Land which the Lord hath given them. The King of Israel,Zeph. 3. 15. even the Lord shall reign in the midst of them, and they shall see evil no more. Nah. 1. 15. The wicked insulting enemy shall no more pass through them, but shall be utter­ly cut off. The Lord will smite all the People that have fought against Jerusalem, with this sore plague:Zech. 14. 12. Their flesh shall continue a­way while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away-in their holes, and their tongues shall con­sume away in their mouth; 21. and there shall be no more the Canaanite in the House of the Lord.

I might yet further encrease the number of Scripture Arguments, and Evidences to demonstrate this assertion, that Israel and Judah shall be one Kingdom in the latter days, in their Ancient Land, and the Ter­ritories thereof greatly magnified and augmented, that they shall be a holy and spiritual People; honor­ing, worshiping and reverencing the [Page 88] Messiah, our blessed Lord Jesus their King, and ours. That Land of Canaan, as theirs by right of do­nation from God, was taken away for their rebellion against him. But when they shall return to their obe­dience, what should hinder, but that they should inherit their an­cient patrimony before any other Nation in the World? it is their right; if God pardon them and com­mand them to return, who shall detain their possessions? Further­more that the Church of God uni­ted into one body, both of Isra­el and the Gentiles shall enjoy sur­passing peace, plenty and prosperi­ty in the beauty of Evangelical Or­dinances for a long succession of years,Dan. 7. 10. Rev. 20. 11 even till the time of the Son of Mans coming to Judgment. But I shall wave any more enlargement at present upon this Subject, hum­bly advising persons to take heed of applying these and other Ancient Prophecies to the solution of the Babylonian Captivity, and thereby to contract and narrow the exube­rant and resplendent Mercies of [Page 89] God to Israel and Judah, since the Apostles, both Paul and Peter in the Acts, and in the Epistles apply those Texts to the times of the Messiah, concerning glorious things spoken of Zion the City of God, which were ne­ver yet accomplished, either before or since the Incarnation of our bles­sed Lord to this very day. Neither do I see how any rational man can make any proper and genuine sense of the Prophets, nor deduce any consequencies from them, but such as tend to confirm what we have treated on in several arguments, to prove and demonstrate that there is a great glory coming on, for the Church to enjoy in the latter day. I shall for a Coronis to the foresaid deductions, present some Srciptures of the Old and New Testament in their orderly series, reflecting strongly upon this Truth, which would require some Interpretation, and then might lye fair for applicati­on to this point of the Restitution of Israel, and the wonderful splen­dor of the Church in the close of times, in all places where the four [Page 90] Monorchies have obtained from India, to the Atlantick Ocean; and how far further the Church shall bear sway among the Heathen from Pole to Pole, is not for us distinctly to amplifie, till holy Scripture doth enable us by future manifestations of some dark places, together with admirable Providences, commenting by event.

• Numb. 24. 7, 17.
• Deut. 32. 43.
• Psal. 68. 22. 69. 32, 33. 110. 2, 3.
• Song 8. 10.
• Isai. 2. 2. 9. 7. 11. 11. 14. 2. 30. 21, 22. 33. 9, 17, 20.
• Isai. 41. 15. 43. 1, &c. 49. 16, 17. 51. 1, 2, 3. 65. 17, &c. 66. 12, &c.
• Jer. 3. 17, 18. 30. 3. 33. 6. 50. 19.
• Ezek. 16. 61. 20. 34. 37. 21.
• Ezek. 39. 21, 29. 40. to the end. 48.
• Dan. 12, 13.
• Joel 2. 28, &c.
• Amos 9. 8.
• Obad. 15.
• [Page 91] Mic. 7. 7.
• Zeph. 3. 8.
• Hag. 2. 22.
• Zech. 2. 9. 9. 9, &c. 10. 10. 14. 1, &c.
• Mat. 23. 39. 24. 30, 34.
• Luk. 21. 24.
• Act. 3. 19, 21.
• Rom. 11. 25.
• 2 Cor.. 3. 16.
• 2 Thes. 2. 8.
• Hebr. 8. 8, &c.
• 2 Pet. 3. 8, 13.
• Rev. 16. 12, 16. 21. 3, 24. 22. 2.

These and the like Scriptures were they discussed and opened, might by their mutual inter­views, shining upon each others faces, exceedingly both confirm and illustrate the preceeding truth. But I shall rather proceed to answer some few objections, and tend to a period.

1.Obj. 1 There is one, who as to the re­turn of the 10 Tribes, objects the concession of liberty by Cyrus unto all the Tribes to return, and there­fore 'tis probable they did re­turn.

Ans. Ans There's no consequence from leave and power of returning to the [Page 92] act of returning. Besides I have cleared out of Josephus, that they did not return with Judah: where­of amply before.

Obj. Obj. 2 2. The ten Tribes did not commit so great a sin as the Jews, in killing our Lord, and therefore 'tis not probable that they were pu­nisht with a sorer judgment of so durable and irreducible a Captivity to this day.

Ans. Ans There seems no good con­sequence in that Argument: since the sovereign God may variously punish for reasons best known to his own infinite and secret wisdom. His Judgments are unsearchable, Rom. 11. 33. and his ways past finding out; and who may dare say to him, Job. 9. 12. what dost thou? All the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing. Eccl. 8. 4. He doth accor­ding to his will in the army of Hea­ven, Dan. 4. 35. and among the Inhabitants of the Earth, and none can stay his hand, or say to him, what or wherefore dost thou fashion the Clay into Vessels of honour, Isai. 45. 9. or dishonour?

Obj. Obj. 3 3. The Scripture speaks of 12 Tribes after the first return, and [Page 93] fore they did all return out of Cap­tivity.

Ans. Ans 1. There were some out of the Tribes of Israel that upon Jerobo­ams revolt from the House of Ju­dah 2 Chr. 11. 3 12. 1, 6. 15. 8. 24. 5. did come up to Jerusalem and 'tis very likely many of them might continue among the Tribes of Ju­dah and Benjamin to enjoy pure Worship.

2. [...]ns. 2. All Israel was not carried Cap­tive by Salmanasser, 2 Chr. 30, 6, 11. 35. 17. as appears by the Pass-over in the time of Heze­kiah, and Josiah.

3.Ans. 3 Some of various Tribes might be mixt with Jews in their Capti­vity, and so might also return in their reduction.

But the Question is about the whole or main body of the Nation or 10 Tribes, which as yet never returned to this day, as I have shew­ed before.

As to that surmise about the dis­agreing Catalogues in Ezra and Nehemiah, as if the 11 or 12000 supernumerary, were of the ten Tribes of Israel, its but a slender conjecture. Learned Rivet on Hos. [Page 94] 11. 10. says there's no mention of the return of the Israelites in the Catalogue, which certainly had not bin omitted, if the fulfilling of so great a Prophecy had bin placed in that return; for the Catalogues were such as Nehemiah and Ezra might find in different registers.Neh. 7. 5. I found saith Nehemiah, a Register of their Genealogies, and thus I found written in them: and some being not found in the Register were put from the Priest-hood,Ezr. 2. 62. till there should stand up a Priest with Vrim and Thummim: which the Jews ob­serve to have bin a constant defect under the 2d Temple. But when the great High-Priest shall arise, the true Zadok, the Priest of righteous­ness: then such things may be fur­ther discovered in the latter days, who shall sit as Priest upon his Throne, Zech. 6. 13 and a Prince for ever.

But as to the different Registers, we must have more reverence, than to think that the Word of God is contradictory, or to be supplied by a waterish conjecture: for 'tis evi­dent [Page 95] the Texts treat of the Gene­alogies of Judah and Benjamin, yet as an Historian, so might the Pen­man relate what he found in this or that Register. If the Rowles were mutilous or carelesly kept, and the orders of names inverted and confu­sed, yet the Sacred Historian (libe­rat fidem) wrongs not the truth, when he faithfully relates what he sound, though the Register might be faulty: and thus the Evangelist Luke giving in a Catalogue of our Lords Progenitors,Luke 3. 23. tells us that what he set down was, [...] as they were supputated or re­counted in the Jewish Records. Not but that we ought to have great ve­neration for the truth of that Re­gister, because it highly concerns the verification of our Lords pro­cedure of the lineage of David. But when a Relator testifies, that he found such a Genealogy in the Re­cords or Books of account, and can justifie it by sufficient Witnesses; we can proceed no further, and so it is with the various Roles of the Norman Gentry out of Battel-Abby. [Page 96] The Historians of the Norman or English Nation, assert no more than they found in the Parchments which they viewed. Let's go to another ob­jection.

Ob. 4. But some may say, Obj. 4 Is. 24. 20. Doth not the Prophet Isaiah threaten the Earth or Land (i. e. of Judah) that it shall fall and not rise again; and doth not Ezekiel assert,Ezek. 16. 55. that when Sodom and Samaria shall re­tnrn, then shall Judah? implying, as if they should never return more: and doth not the Lord declare by Hosea, Hos. 1. 6. that he will no more have mercy upon the House of Israel, but utterly take them away? and by Amos, Ams 8. 2. That the end is come upon the People of Israel, and that he will not again pass by them any more.

Ans.Ans That Gods comminations or threatnings have always a secret la­bel at the foot of the flying Role, ni resipuerint, unless they repent. Thus the Lord proclaims to all Is­rael by Moses,Deut. 30. 1, 2, 3. that if they shall re­turn to their Lord their God, among all the Nations, whi­ther [Page 97] they are driven: That then the Lord will turn back their Captivity, and have compassion upon them, and then promises yet more positively to them: v. 6, 8. That the Lord will cir­cumcise their hearts, to love the Lord with all their hearts, and they shall return and obey the voice of the Lord, and more exspresly by Ezekiel,Ezek. 36. 24. That the Lord will take them from among the Heathen, and gather them out of all Countries, amd bring them in­to their own Land, and sprinkle clean water upon them, and give them a new heart,v. 28. and a new spirit, and they shall dwell in the Land he had given to their Fathers, and be his People; and he will be their God. Nay in the same Prophet Isaiah,Is. 24. 22. the Lord graciously promises, That after ma­ny days they shall be visited, and the Lord will reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his An­cients (i. e. the Elders) glorious­ly.

As for the comparison to the state of Sodom, and the lake of Asphal­tites, we may remember that it was Lot's habitation before the fiery [Page 98] luge, and that on the South-East, East, and North-East parts of the Lake, were the Countries of Ammon and Moab the Children of Lot. Jer. 48. 47. 49. 6. Now it is expressed that the Lord will return the Captivity of Ammon and Moab in the latter days; but they shall be subject to Israel, and under their Dominion.Is. 11. 14. They shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab and the Children of Ammon shall obey them, and God will give the Territories of those Countries to his People for Daughters, i. e. for lesser Citys; but not by their Co­venant, i. e. to an equal glory and eminency:Zeph. 2. 9. And further by Zephany, that the Remnant of his People, i. e. which shall return out of Captivi­ty, shall possess them.

As for Sodom, the Prophet Eze­kiel foretels,Ezek. 47. 8 that it shall be healed in the latter days, by the River that shall come sorth of the House of the Lord: wherewith agrees the Prophet Joel, Joel 3. 18 when he foretels those Sanctuary-waters to run through the Vally of Shittim, i. e. the Vally of [Page 99] Jordan and Sodom, which was near to Abel-Shittim, in the Plains of Moab, one of the last Stations of the Children of Israel, when of old they were entring into Canaan. Of those living waters, i. e, Sanctuary-Ordinances,Zech. 14. 8 does the Prophet Ze­chary also treat, when he prophe­cies that part of them shall run to the former or Eastern Sea, i. e. the Sea of Sodom: Ezek. 47. 11. when Fishers shall stand upon the Brink of it from En­gedi to Englaim, i. e. both on the West-side in Judah and at Agalla, on the East side in Moab to fish for Men with the Nets of the Gos­pel, though some South remnants towards Edom shall remain marshy and miry, and given to Salt, and not be healed: for the Inhabitants of E­dom, the Prophets every where te­stify,Jer. 49. 13 Ezek. 25. 14. Joel. 3. 19 Obad. 18. Is, 19. 25. shall never return. Though Egypt and Assyria shall be blessed in the latter day, together with Is­rael, yet Edom for his old hatred shall never rise to be a People more, but their Land put in Subjection to Israel.

[Page 100] One Objection yet remains among some:Obj. 5 That all the Scriptures about the return of Israel are to be inter­preted of the true and spiritual Isra­el, the Church of God, and if they have any relation to natural Israel, we are to conceivei it of such, as are scatterd and mixt among the Nati­ons; and there in those stations and places they may have some conver­sion to Christ, but not as a distinct people in order to reversion to their Old Land.

Asserenti incumbit probatio. Ans They assert a point contrary to the gene­ral consent of the Primitive Saints and Churches, and the confessions of the Reformed Countries; and therefore they should be tender of being overpositive. Its good to be very modest in a case when persons dissent from the Body of the Church of Christ in all Ages: since 'tis far more probable, that the Spirit of God doth influence and guide the whole Flock of Martyrs, Confessors and holy Teachers, rather than some few here and there in points [Page 101] opposite to the general sense of Gods holy People, that have oppo­sed the false Antichristian Syna­gogue in their Generations.

I might therefore refer to the ancient and modern writings on this Subject, and intreat them to consi­der the 8 arguments which I have urged from Scripture. But I shall add a few reflections more upon this point, and draw toward an end.

1. These promises about Israels 1 Restoration, cannot be genuinely interpreted of a spiritual Israel a­mong the Nations; since there is a manifest distinction between Israel and the Nations in many of those promises,Act. 26. 7 Rom. 11. 25. which are before cited and applied so by the Apostle.

2. Because the Spirit of God 2 seems to speak of, and assign some special comfort and joy to natural Israel, under their devastations and dispersions, as to a distinct and par­ticular Nation; which in due time is to be recalled out of those plun­ges and miseries. Now what spe­cial comfort can arise as to Israel, [Page 102] distinct from other Nations, if such Promises are to be understood of a spiritual and mystical Israel, Is. 19. 25. Deut. 32. 43. as that in Isaiah; Blessed be Egypt and Is­rael and Assyria my People. And a­gain, Rejoyce O Nations with my Peo­ple, &c.

3 3. Because the glory of that Na­tion is expresly declared to be super-eminent and transcendent a­bove all other Nations, both for spi­ritual and temporal felicity; and that all Nations shall come up, that is, by Embassadors and Messen­gers, bringing Presents to them. The Kings of the Nations shall bring in their glory thither, and shall walk in the same spiritual light, as the Prophet Isaiah and Zechary and o­thers distinctly mention it.

4 4. Those sweet and ample Promi­ses are sometimes mentioned, as di­stinctly applicable to that Nation which pierced him.Zach. 12. 10.

Whereas 'tis said that under Gospel days, there is no priviledge asserted to the Jews more than to the Gentiles: We must understand as to the Doctrine of Faith and Eter­nal [Page 103] Salvation, they are all one in Christ Jesus: Nor ought any to deem, that any of their old Typi­cal Sacrifices and Services shall be introduced into Gods Worship at their Restitution; for they are all finally abrogated, and the Veil of the Temple rent in twain: So that those last splendid Chapters in Eze­kiel, do only set forth Gospel and Evangelical Ordinances under the ancient Figures.

5. These great Promises are in se­veral 5 places set down with a contra­distinction to their release from their first Captivity:Ps. 68. 22. as when the Lord says, I will bring my People again from Bashan, and again from the depths of the Sea, Is. 11. 11. and that he will set his hand again the second time to deliver his People, &c. Now if the first Captivity were literal, and the first release from Babylon was lite­ral, then there is a second release to be fulfilled in the like tenor.

6. It may be argued also from 6 the distinctness of the times of Is­raels Redemption, besides the time of the restoration of the Gentiles [Page 104] from their spiritual Captivity un­der Antichrist, and under the Turk, which may appear more clearly from what I hope to speak as to the distinct time of Israels Deliverance before the close of this Tract.

7 7. We may infer this National Restitution of Israel, from those Texts which mention many distinct places of their scatterings,I. 11. 11. as in E­lam or Persia, in Assyria, Javan and the Islands, &c. from whence as from all Quarters of the Earth they shall be reduced to their own Land. Now it seems very incongruous to assign a mystical denomination to those Countries and Cities of their various dispersions. Such strange and wonderful scatterings, as they, verify the ancient Prophecies; so have they happened to no other Nation under the whole Heaven that we can evidence: wherefore from all these considerations it seems very proper that there is some great and special glory, both in spiritual and temporal concernments, which shall accrue to National Israel, in [Page 105] the latter days, beyond the glory of their Ancestors. Ezek. 36. 11. Wherefore some have made this as unto the Jews a notable mark,Mat. 24. 34. since they are by divine Providence kept distinct from all other Nations in the midst of their dispersions. This Nation shall not pass away,Terry p. 130. but is preserved un­der some notable design of God for their good and welfare in the latter day: for though their strange and admirable disjoyntings and dis­membrings ly incumbent as a pre­sent curse npon them;Jer. 24. 9. yet shall it in the end be turned into a glorious blessing. At which time when the Lord shall have formed his work upon Zion, and delivered the Gen­tile Churches into their glorious liberty, and restored Israel to their own Land, to worship our blessed Lord according to his Gospel In­stitutions in Emanuel's Land, then will the times of blessedness shine forth in their radiant lustre, pro­phesied of by holy Doniel the man of desires,Dan. 12. and those 1000 years fe­licity to the Church treated of by the beloved Disciple.

[Page 106] Of these blessed times the Primi­tive Church had great and illustri­ous knowledge, as being near to the Apostolical times and information. Let me give in some evidences be­fore I finish this Paragraph. In the first place,Just. Mart. in dialogo cum Try­phone p. 239. Edit Commelin. Justin Martyr in his Di­alogue with Trypho the Jew, is signally to be remembred, as be­ing so very express in this point of the glorious liberty of the Church for a 1000 years in the latter days; that he reckons them among the A­theists and wicked Hereticks of his time, who denied it: For, although Justin's Text be corruptly read in our common Editions, yet 'tis evi­dent by the question of Trypho, and the whole following series of Ju­stin's reply, that the aforesaid words are verily the genuine mind of that Author; since in the following lines he calls them [ [...]] Christians in all things Orthodox, who in his days did assert it. To prove it, he cites the Prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and especially the last, in these words, For as the days of the Tree of Life, Is. 65. 22. [Page 107] so shall be the days of my People, as he reads the 22 verse, and thus glosses upon it: We understand that the thousand years are designed by those expressions in a secret Mystery; for whereas it was said to Adam, In the day that thou eatest of the Tree, thou shalt dye: we know that he did not fulfil a 1000 years, and then cites both Peter and John for the same purpose.2 Pet. 3. 8. Rev. 20. 4. But besides that Pri­mitive Martyr, Jerom also, though he frequently and testily enough, inveigh against it; yet in several places manifests, that it was the ge­neral notion of those early and pu­rer times. In his Comment on the 19th of Jeremy, mentioning this Kingdom, declares himself thus [Quae licet non sequamur, tamen damnare non possumus, quia multi Ecclesiasticorum virorum & Marty­tyres ista dixerunt] ‘Which things saith he, though we receive not, yet we cannot condemn, because many Church-men and Martyrs have declared it.’ Again, on the 28th of Isaiah, glancing at the same persons, breaks forth into these [Page 108] words [Quorum nequaquam senten­tia reprobanda est, dummodo spiri­tualiter haec complenda & non carna­liter noverimus] ‘whose judgment is in no wise to be rejected; so be it, we acknowledge those things to be fulfilled spiritually, and not carnally.’ But in no place doth he more copiously mention (that I re­member) the maintainers of this truth, than in his Preface to the 65th of Isaiah, where he acquaints us, that among the Latin Fathers, Ter­tullian, Victorinus, Lactantius; and among the Graecians, that I may pass by others (says Jerom) Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons, were of this appre­hension. Against whom Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, wrote sharp­ly, but Apollinarius answered him in two Volumns: [Quem (says our Bethlemite) non solum suae sectae ho­mines sed & nostrorum in hac parte duntaxat, plurima sequitur multitu­do] ‘whom, not only persons of his own way, but a great multi­tude also of ours do follow, on­ly in this particular.’ And there­fore presages great opposition to [Page 109] himself in respect to his followiug notes upon the 65 and 66 Chapters of Isaiah. ‘Since, (as he speaks a little before [multorum veterum Opinionibus contraire videbimur] we shall seem to contradict the senti­ments of many of the Ancients.’ I might produce other Citations from his Comments on Hos. 1 and 2. and Micah 2, &c. but forbear to enlarge.August de Civ. Dei. l. 20. c. 7. Let us hear what Austin speaks to it in his Book of the City of God [Quae Opinio esset utcunque to­lerabilis, si aliquae deliciae spiritales in illo Sabbato affuturae sanctis per domini praesentiam crederentur. Nam etiam nos hoc opinati sumus aliquan­do] ‘which apprehension (says he) however might be tolerable, did they believe any spiritual joys to attend the Saints from the Presence of the Lord, in that Sabath: for even our selves have sometimes bin of this perswasion.’ But good Austin might have reflected upon many Scriptures, and several of the Ancients holding out a greater measure of holiness as well as ex­ternal selicity, to be the portion of [Page 110] those happy times of the Church.

By these Citations (and others that might be produced) we may clearly perceive that multitudes of holy and learned Persons in Asia, Europe and Africa entertained this Doctrine for Scripture truth in the Apostolical and purer Age of the Church. But as the Man of Sin did gradually ascend the Chair of In­fallible Iniquity: So among other blessed truths this also containing an illustrious Branch of Christ's Kingly Office was daily neglected, slighted, oppressed, and almost extinguished by the smoaky fumes of the Bottom­less Pit, yea, at last they came to that heigth,Coranz. p. 277. that Pope Leo the 10th in the 19th Session of his Lateran Council Decreed: That none should presume (among other things) to preach of, or assert the coming of Antichrist, lest that grand Impo­sture should be more discovered.

But his own Canon Law hath lighted such a Torch to reveal and detect him to the World, that all the Lungs of Europe are not able to [Page 111] blow out,Decrest. dest. 23. c. I. p. 138. Romae 1582. and 'tis exprest thus: [Siquis, &c. per seditionem vel pre­sumptionem, aut quolibet ingenio e­lectus, &c. perpetuo Anathemate, &c. abjiciatur sicut Antichristus, Invasor & Destructor totius Christianitatis, &c.] ‘If any man be chosen Pope by sedition, presumption, or any other artifice, let him be cast away as Antichrist, an Invader and De­stroyer of all Christianity, by a perpetual Curse.’ D [...]st. 79. c. 9. p. 503. And again, [Si­quis pecunia, vel gratia humana, vel populari seu militari tumultu, sine concordi, &c. electione, &c. Cardi­nalium, &c. non Apostolicus, sed A­postaticus habeatur] ‘If any be cho­sen by mony, Simony, or favour of men, or by Popular or Military Tumult, without the concording Election of the Cardinals, &c. let him not be esteemed Apostolical, but Apostatical.’ Let then the whole World judge by their own Decrees, what they are, that sit in the Roman Chair, but Antichristian Enemies to the Church, who have bin the great opposers and oppug­ners of this Truth: Yea, we may [Page 112] hence discern to what Genealogy they are to be referred who wipe off the Apostolical Characters from this Man of Sin, and expunge the ancient and modern Expositions of Daniel and the Revelations, unless conformable to Alcasar and Groti­us; by whose leave the Glory of the Church must coextend with the horrible darkness of Popery; and the rising of the light of the Gospel in Luther's days must tend to a co­incidency with the rise of Antichrist in their supposed latter times; Apage ineptias & quis quilias! away with those trifles, since the Church of Christ hath already past far the greater time of her exile-estate in the Wilderness under Antichristian Tyranny, and is very near the time of her glorious return to the splen­dor and Dignity prophecied by the Holy Penmen, as might be evident by several Scripture-Characters, were it the present business, which is to treat of the Return of the ten Tribes, and the glorious estate of whole Israel, shortly to be intro­duced upon the Stage of the World, [Page 113] which leads me to a sober and sub­missive inquiry into the fourth and last particular.

Question. 4. Concerning the time of the Return of Israel.

As to this point I shall desire to proceed with all tenderness, mode­sty and sobriety: both in respect un­to the Judicious in preceding Ages, as likewise to the obscurity of Pro­phetical Scriptures, and also as to carnal Mockers, that cry out like them in Peter, 2. Pet. 3. 4. Where is the Poomise of his Coming? This is certain, these glorious times shall come, the Pro­phesy will not lye, and likewise that upon the long duration of An­tichrist, and his waining, withering State ever since the days of Luther, and likewise to the stop that seems to be put by Providence to the fu­rious progress of the Ottoman Pow­er; who seems not likely to pass much beyond the bounds of the Ea­stern Empire, but rather of late years is declining; and because of the years of the Gentile World, [Page 114] drawing on toward their consum­mation, that these blessed times are not far off. Let it suffice to give in some general notes and reflecti­ons on what Scripture hath hinted, for exercise of industry and medita­tion.

1. The first more general note of the time, may be gathered from the destruction of the Turk; who by some learned Expositors is thought to be signified by the se­cond Wo-Trumpet. But this 2d Trumpet expires as to its Warlike Alarums by and by,Rev. 11. 14 upon the resur­rection of the Witnesses. Now the Turkish Empire is one great remo­ra, or stop to the Jews, and all Is­raels inhabitation in their ancient Territorys, and seems upon good and probable grounds to be the Gog and Magog in Ezekiel, who is to be destroyed upon the Mountains of Israel. If then, we can but mode­rately state the finishing of the 2d Trumpet, we may in some latitude attain the times of Israels Return, whereof in the third Note.

[Page 115] 2. The second general note, may be taken from the time of the pou­ring out of the 6th Vial upon Eu­phrates, i. e. Rev. 16. 12 upon the Turkish Assy­rian, whose frontire Cities ly upon that River; that the way of the Kings of the East may be prepared, i. e. the ten Tartarian Princes who are the race of the ten Tribes of Israel near the Caspian Sea, as the learned Dr. Fletcher in his preceding Treatise hath endeavoured to clear. Now could we evidently state the time of the commencement of the Vials, & the duration of each as to the time of their pouring out, we might ar­rive to some evidence in this point. Thus far I humbly conceive that none of the Vials are yet poured out, nor will be till the Resurrecti­on of the Witnesses is past, and seem to be contained under the 3d Wo-Trumpet:v. 1. For the 7 Angels with the 7 last Plagues, come not out of the Temple till it be opened, and the Ark of the Testimony, seen in the manifestation of pure Wor­ship in Europe. v. 19. But the Temple is [Page 116] not opened till after the resurrecti­on of the Witnesses, and the third Wo▪ sounding in the World, when the Witnesses shall be risen, and the Kingdoms of the World begin more visibly to become the Kingdoms of Christ, and the Nations begin to fume with anger at he approach of the Wrath of God, then may we expect the effusion of the Vials in their distinct order.

The third note, is more precise and express, and may be collected from the time of the duration of the second Wo in its greatest ter­ror and splendor:Rev. 9. 15. For the 200000 Euphratean Horse men are prepa­red for an hour,1 y.—360 1. m. 030 1d. 1 1 h. 0 391. a day, a month and a year; which if it be calculated from the grandeur of the Ottoman Family, forcing their inroads upon the Grecian Empire, Anno 1300 and so forwards; this computation hands us to the year 1691, or there abouts: Or if we should calculate the 2300 years of the Palmoni, from the taking away the daily Sacrifice by Nebuchadnezzar at the destruc­tion [Page 117] of the first Temple, unto the renovation of pure Worship in the latter days; this consideration will lead us to the year of our Lord 1712, or thereabouts, as I have mentioned in a little Tract of the Vision of the Myrtle Grove in Ze­chary.

4.4. But the most apposite and pro­per time which concerns Israel more especially when Daniel shall stand in his lot at the end of the days is that computation of the beloved Pro­phet who lays the radix, Dan. 12. 11. the root or Epocha of the numeration of his 1290 years, from the taking away the daily Sacrifice,v. 1 and that at the end of those times his People shall be delivered. But if you take it from Nebuchadnezzar's or Antio­chus, or Titus, or Julian: the times as to all those roots will be expired, and no deliverance accomplished, and therefore we must take ano­ther more auspicious and genuine foundation for the decurrency of this number, and moreover since the same Prophet mentions the time, times, and the half, in the se­venth [Page 118] verse, which is frequently af­fixed both by Daniel and John for the duration of the last head of the fourth Monarchy. I humbly con­ceive, that his 1290 years, do con­jointly initiate with John's 1260, insomuch that they seem to point at this, that 30 years after the consum­mation of the power of the Papal Empire, (for he may prolong his life some time after his power [...] to do any great Exploits, shall be finisht) I say, 30 years af­ter, we may expect the dry bones in Ezekiel to begin to come toge­ther,Ezek. 37. 7 and by degrees, through ma­ny straits and distresses in the de­flux of several years, at length at­tain their promised glory and hap­piness: for at first they may come up from the several Corners of the Earth, toward their own Land cum animo sacrificandi, with thoughts of building the Temple, and restoring their Old Worship; which never will be, for God hath abolished all that pedagogy, in the suffering of Christ, but they may come with great expectation of a temporal [Page 119] glory under the Messiah: Zech. 14. 2. and when they are at the height of their ex­pectation, they shall be most mise­rably torn; Jerusalem taken, the Houses rifled, the Women ravisht, and half carried out for a new Cap­tivity:4. then will the Lord set his feet upon the Mount of Olives for their deliverance:Obad. 21. Then a Saviour shall come upon Mount Zion, to judge the Mount of Esau, i. e. the oppo­site enemy, and the Kingdom shall be the Lords.

But to repair to the connexed E­pocha of 1290 to initiate and begin 1260:Dan. 12. 11. we must infer, that since all the forenamed roots▪ of nume­ration are past, without deliverance either to Gentile Churches in Eu­rope, or to Israel, that we are to spring another rise, and that is from the taking away of the Gospel-Sacrifice of pure Worship, by a new Babilonian Monarch, by a se­cond Antiochus, by the grand An­tichrist, who setting in the Temple of God, as God, hath introduced most horrible pollutions and defile­ments [Page 120] in the Evangelical Worship. Now this Prince of Sin, arose gra­dually together with the ten Kings,Rev. 17. 12 from the year 410, when Rome was taken by Alaricus, 2 Thes. 2. 7, 8. and continued in­creasing and waxing in his grandeur and power till that was taken away, which hindred his revelation in the World, which was the Roman Em­pire. But the Roman Empire drew its last gasp, and was finally and to­tally extirpated in the year 476, Thus divine Providence doth usual­ly perform its mighty works gradu­ally, by distinct intervals of pro­gress: which leads us to a conside­ration of a [...], or compass of years contained within the latitude of 66, from the year 410 to 476 in which year Augustulus was de­posed; So then, if ye add the 1260 years; we arise to 1736. About which I am verily persuaded that the great Mystery of the ruine of Antichrist will be amply manifest, and visible upon the face of the earth: and forasmuch as the ten last Caesars were rather Caesarculi; some appointed from the East, and [Page 121] some rising out of their mutual combustions, and that the Roman Territory was exceedingly dimi­nisht, & cut short in Italy by the Goths. We may indeed look upon the Ro­man Empire as good as ruined at the death of Valentinian the third, in the year 455, which by connection of the 1260 brings us to 1715: a­bout which times the pre-conside­ration of the ruine of the Roman Empire conducts to the expectation of great devastations and confusions in the Papal. The fuller indagation of these periods belonging to ano­ther paper; I return to Israel, and Daniel's computation of their times, by adding 30 years more to these 1260 there with making up his 1290. So that if the 1260 do finish about 1700 or 1715, or at utmost in 1736, then 30 years after their ex­piration, and the great conflicts with the Papal powers in the West will begin the stirs and commoti­about the Jews aud Israel in the East; if then to 1736 we add 30 more, they reach to 1766, the times of Israels gatherings from [Page 122] their dispersions and conflicts for their Country with the Nations and powers that may detain and obstruct them; which times of di­stress and perplexity are determin­ed to last 45 years longer: which answers in some measure to the Ty­pical remembrance of the time from their ancient coming out of Egypt, till they were almost qui­etly settled in most parts of the Land of Canaan. If then we con­joyne these 45 years more to 1766 it produces 1811, for those times of happiness to Israel, Dar. 12. 12. for blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to 1335 days, to the consumption and de­struction of their enemies.

But how far further the finishing of the remainders of that Assyrian Mic. 5. 5. War (when 7 Shepherds and eight principal men alluding to the King of Persia and his 7 great Princes or Counsellers of State shall be raised up for the defence of Israel) how far I say those times may ex­tend, and how long it shall be to utter abolition of the Papal rem­nants [Page 123] after the 1260 days of his power are expired, that is, how long the Vials shall be pouring out upon him, his Throne and all his Adherents in the West, and upon the jurisdiction of his City, when the three parts only shall remain of his 10 Principalities,Rev. 16. 19. or how long it shall be to the utter ruine of the Turk in the East, and the deliverance of the Graecian Church­es, and the subduing of all other powers that shall assemble and withstand the design of God in e­recting the Kingdom of the Stone, cut out from the Mountains of Gods Decrees without hands of humane aid or power. I say, how far those times of the victorious success of the Church may be am­plified and extended, is beyond man to dictate and determine. Nei­ther do I yet clearly see by what texts of Scripture we can distinct­ly proceed to chain or connex the 1000 years glory of the Church in a compleat golden link with any former expiring currents of Pro­phecy, unless it be to the end of [Page 124] Daniel's 1335, or the end of the Vials, and some other latent num­bers not yet apparent to us in the surface of Scripture: neither may we be so bold as to build upon that notion of the house of Elias men­tioned by that Learned Earl of Mi­randula and others, for the conti­nuation of the World in its state of misery and bondage for 6000 years according to the six days of Creation. It was a current Notion in the Primitive times a­mong the Christians, applying that of Peter, 2 Pet. 3. 8. One day with the Lord, is as a thousand years, as if so be it did pre-signifie the duration of the World, as I have before touched out of Justin Martyr, and that the word [...], the resur­rection of the World to a Sabbath of rest and glory and felicity doth reflect upon the seventh day where­in the Lord rested from his labours and was refreshed,Exod. 31. 17. and then the eigth day from the Creation, for the resurrection of our Lord should presignify the Saints rising to glo­ry and being for ever with the Lord in Heaven.

[Page 125] Let these hints suffice at present, not willing to expatiate in gratify­ing our curiosity with conjectures that perhaps may not prove clear­ly scriptural. Let's study with the Apostle,Rom. 12. 3. 1 Cor. 4. 6. [...]; to be wise to sobriety, and not surmise beyond what's written. Leaving the punctual particularitys of the timeing of Prophecies with the issues of Providence unto the Fa­ther in whose holy hands the signa­tures of all times are written. Let's be very thankful that our blessed Saviour hath so far indulged his Church, as to signify by his servant John, the duration of Antichrist, their last and principal enemy to be 1260 years, and that we may collect from evident Scripture proof that these years are well nigh expi­red. 'Tis a wonderful mercy, let's be highly thankful for this discove­ry and rejoice in Zion's approach­ing glory.