Pilgrimage, Book 2 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Of the hopes and hinderances of the Iewes Conuersion.
WHen I had now (as I thought) brought this Iewish Relation to an end, and euen wearied the Reader with that which might much more wearie the Writer: that Prophecie of aRom.11. 25.26.Paule, That all Israell shall be saued, &c. which by most Interpreters is construed of the generall conuersion of that Nation, after the fullnesse of the Gentiles be come in (as in the beginning of this Worke is said) caused my straying penne (readie to wander from these, so farre wandering from their holy progenitors) to vndertake this taske, also to declare, what future hopes, and what present feares and lets may be conceiued of their conuersion to Christianitie. The hope (though it be yet tossed vponupon surges of almost-desperate Seas, yet) hath anchoram sacram, a sure anchor to relye on, and a kinde of obscure kenning of that wished-for Hauen, where it would be. For bP. Mart. in Rom. c.11.Non ita perierunt ad vnum Iudei, vt nulla supersit de illorum salute spes. The destruction of the Iewes (sayth Peter Martyr) is not so desperate, but that there is some hope left of their saluation. And a little after, (alluding to the Apostles mysterie) Cum enim plenitudo fuerit tam ad Christum conuersa ex Gentibus, tunc & Israelitae accedent: For when there shall hauehave beene a full conuersion of the Gentiles vntounto CHRIST, then shall the Iewes also come in. So Chrysostome; cTom.2.Hom. 12. in Marc. de verbis Dom. circa ficum.Quis subintranit plenitudo Gentium, in nouissimo saluabitur omnis Israel; because the fulnesse of the Gentiles hath come in, at last all Israell shall be saued. The same hope is generally cherished by the rest of the Fathers: yet doth indeede depend more vponupon Diuine goodnesse then on humane probabilitie; the stabilitie of his Truth, which hath promised (as Paule also Rom. 11. expoundeth the former Prophets) the vnchangeablenesse of GODS Election, the bottomelesse Sea of his Mercies, the vnsearchablenesse of his Iudgements, minister hope beyond hope. Hereunto also may bee added the common grounds, both of Reason, which they hold with vsus in Nature; and of Scripture, the auncienter parts whereof, and especially the Law of Moses, they maintaine with equall acknowledgement, and (for the most part) with more forward industrie and zeale, then doe the commoner sort of Christians.
But the bImpedimēts of the Iewes conuersion.impediments which hauehave hitherto, and doe yet with-hold them from Christianitie, doe exceede in number and power. For that fore-stalled preiudice of theirs, the glorie of the Temple, the Sacrifices and Legall worships past, their hopes then and still of such a Monarch to their Messias, as you hauehave heard of, the splendour of their renowmed Auncestors, the keeping of the Diuine Oracles, their peculiar title of beeing GODS people, hauehave bredde in them such a swelling pride, that they naturally enuie and abhorre the verie thought thereof, that the Gentiles should in these thinges either equall or succeede them.
Sooner (sayth Martin cLuth.in Mic….4.1,2.Luther) then they would endure, that the Gentiles (which in their dayly prayers they curse and reuise) should hauehave any part with them in their Messias, and bee accounted co-heires thereof, they would crucifie tenne Messiahs: yea (if it were possible) would doe to death GOD himselfe, with all the Angels and creatures else, although they should therefore vndergoe a thousand Hels.
Hence, in a great part, proceedeth their naturall and long continued obstinacie. And besides that preiudice, pride, and enuie, they are not a little scandalized from the Christians themselues, somewhat in regard of the mutuall differences and disagreements among Protestants; which, though in it selfe bad, is made much worse by the vnseasonable and vnreasonable exaggeration of their common aduersarie, the Papist: but more, in respect of those which call themselues Catholikes, and are not, but euen by these men are found to be manifest Idolaters. dReligion of the West partsA scandall it is to see GODS Law neglected, and mans exacted with rigour: a greater matter, at some times to eate flesh, then the adulterous pollution of the flesh at any time: the blasphemies of Nations; these being interiections to the vulgar, and phrases of gallantrie to the Princes: the forging and packing of miracles; wherein the Friers and Iewes concurre with equall diligence, the one in contriuing, the other in discouering them. A scandall are the alterations which they are forced by the Inquisitors to make in their Authors and Monuments of Antiquitie: thinking, that these deuises are our best euidences. A scandale is the vowing and praying to Angels and Saints, yea, more to the Mother of CHRIST, then to CHRIST himselfe, or to GOD, to whome alone they repute this a due Sacrifice. But the greatest scandall of all others, is the worshipping of Images. Indeed it seemed strange to me, and doth to the rest of my brethren according to the flesh (Nathanael a Iew borne, baptised in London, before the Congregation at All-hallowes eApr.1577.made this confession) euen vntounto this day, in whome this blindnesse and hardnesse of heart is in part continued, through occasion giuen by them that professe the name of IESVS: and not onelyonly in vsus, which are of the house of Israel, but in others, as the Turkes and Mahumetanes, which are of the Race of Ishmael. Wee and our Fathers and Elders say, and in our Bookes call them by no other name, but Buale abodazara, Idolatrous Masters: a thing so detestable vntounto vsus, as nothing more, &c. They say vntounto vsus oftentimes, that they doe not worship them as Gods, but GOD in them: Neither are the Heathen, we say, that are round about vsus, so blinded, that they thinke the stockes and stones to be GOD, but they are persuaded that GOD may be worshipped in them. And yet they goe farther: for the Christians in Spaine and Portugall hauehave it written in their bookes, That the Virgine Marie is the LORDS Treasure, and that she bestowes gifts and graces vponupon her seruants: That her merciemercy pardoneth them, whome the iustice of her Sonne might condemne, and that our Saluation lyeth in her hands. But our Law teacheth, That GOD is All-sufficient, he giueth to whome hee listeth, He will not giuegive his glorie to another, &c. The Reader may (if he please) from that Iew himselfe, in his printed Confession, be further informed of that Partition-wall which separateth the Iew and Catholike.
They are so much the more scandalized, when they see the Catechismes recite the Decalogne, with omission of that second Commaundement, which they thinke (as one of their greatest Rabbines contested with our fRel.West.Author) was the Ordinance of CHRIST himselfe. Yea, the Priests and Friers let passe in their conferences with them for currant, their Iewish vpbraidings, That CHRIST, a Carpenters Sonne, was an Image-maker, or at least an Author of their worshipping. As for those speculatiue playsters of foreign and foreign, of intention instrumentall and finall in worship, of Images of the true, and Idols of the false Gods, they are (as euen now you heard) the vnsauourest dregs to the Iew in the world.
The poore Ideot, among the Christians, can as little distinguish as the Pagan, and both amongst the Christians is like honour done to GODS Image, and to that of Saints, and to them both, in like forme of worship, as amongst the Pagans. They are forced to be at some Sermons, and there are well edified by their hearing, when they see the Preacher direct his prayer to a Crucifixe, calling it his Lord and Sauieur. Their Transubstantiation is a monster as hideous as the former.
The meanes gIbid…vsed to their conuersion are weake; especially in some places, where they hauehave not the New Testament in such Language as they can vnderstand: and the Inquisitors hauehave inhibited and taken from them all bookes written on that Theame, in defence of Christian Religion, or against it, alledging, they will hauehave no disputing in matters of Religion either way, like the Iesuites Edict at Dola, forbidding all talke of GOD, either in good sort or in bad.
But of all other this is a good furtherance, that when in their Baptisme they denie the Deuill and all his workes, they must renounce their right and propertie in all their goods and possessions; the shamefull couetousnesse of hypocriticall Christians hauing brought these irritamenta malorum within the compasse of the Deuils workes: presupposing (forsooth) that either the conuerted Iew, or his corrupt auncestors, hauehave scraped together such heapes of wealth by Vsurie, or Oppression, or some vnlawfull meanes or other. Therefore for the good of his soule, his bodie shall be left to begge or starue; while, with the leauing of his Iewish Superstition, he must likewise leaue all that he hath: and his new-receiued Religion must be a meanes to strip him of his riches, and to weane him from his well-beloued Mammon, which that Nation is naturally so farre in louelove with. This alone, to the world-bewitched Iew, is such a partition-wall to keepe him from Christianitie, that he will venture soule and all, rather then thus betray himselfe, his wife and children, to extreame beggerie and want. Especially since the fairest of his preferment (to welcome him to our Religion) is to turne Frier: then which profession, nothing can be more hatefull to him, who accounteth it a course against Nature; and a breach of that Ordinance of hGen.1.28.GOD, (Crescite & multiplicamini) of multiplying the world by a holy propagation in that iHeb.13.4.honourable estate of Marriage, which that k1.Tim.4.1.4.doctrine of Deuils hath made the Frier vncapable of. As for the example of Elias, and some other holy men (whome our Popish Votaries would make Patrones of their disorderly Orders;) the Iew (herein more truly-Christian then the Papist) holdeth it a course extraordinarie, and ordinarily preferreth holy Marriage farre before that seeming-holy Vow of Virginitie. Thus wee see what outward scandales, besides their generall preiudice against Christianitie, doe hinder them from it: which offences, in behalfe of the Christians, together with that preiudice, pride, and enuie, and aboue all, that Veile which diuine Iustice hath left vponupon their hearts, GOD in his good time remoue, and graunt, according to that Prophecie, That all Israel may be saued.