Two Epistles in the Year 1599, Letter 2
TO THE METROPOLITANE, THE NEXT in England to the Queen▪ exalted may bee her Maiestie.
YOur ſoule knoweth full well how often you hauehave beheld my Letters for the affaires of a man of eſteem Rabbi Abraham Ruben an Ebrew, a ſpecial Lawier in Iewes Lerning: whom we muſt regard, as hee loveth our nation, and affordeth honorable ſpeches of our Queen, more then any one of milions: & alſo ſeketh the honour of our nation, and eſtimation for the lerning of our people in ſingular hartineſs. Notwithſtanding vntill this very day I heard no word from you, but that which others ſpake vponupon hereſay: whereon no hold is to bee taken, that you would giuegive me allowance ſufficient to awnſweare the Iewe. And now becauſe I hauehave been long a pilgrome without awnſweare now theſe two yeares dayes: & could hauehave made a greate volume before this, & left myne own buſines to be imployed for the vſe of the Church, I thought good to demaund of you before the Eyes of this ſoonne what you purpoſe for awnſwear to the people of the King of Thogarma· And I will ſtay yet a little tine while, watching what you wil ſpeake in the end. Although he wrote unto my baſenes, I am not of authority to aunſwer, becauſe his writing went upon matters of your trade. And all the while you hold your peace, none may meddle with this buſines. Therefore I am in great expectation that you will not hold your peace: but take the matter in hand: or will ſay, that you find none in the Kingdome which be men of underſtanding, and of ſettled affection for this worke: & will ſearch for them from ſome other place where they may be found. For hee is not a ſpeaker of light matter: & his ſpech is not of ēmpty & vayne ſound: but he mindeth things of chief regard: his hart uttereth good matter: he deſireth in his workes the kingdome of heaven: & his pen is the tongue of an amiable writer.
Your eyes have ben the beholders of ſundry former letters, & you have marked them. Yet you may here alſo conſider the effect of his wordes: that you may perceive whether great blame were in yee for delay hitherto as though yee had bē weak of judgmēt, & you wil weigh my words whether they give advertiſement of right. In the beginning he speaketh highly of God his blesſing upō us, in the corners of the earth: how he createth the fruct of lippes to heavens peace, a far off: & from the corners of the earth he hath heard of ſonges of honour in true juſtice. Should not we all for this joyn to him with as good spech in the prophets allegories & ſay of God. Hee hath geven in the wildernes Ceder, The Tabernacles Sittah tree, & mirtle, & oile wood, & ſet in the deſert, the Pitys & the Box alſo: that wee may ſee and underſtand, and marke, and perceave that the hand of the Eternall hath done this for us. It was our duty to have uttered with ſage cariage: that the mercies of God upon us paſs all spech: and it hath not bene done under the heaven as Gods cōpasſiones were shewed upon the people of Britanie: yf God had gevē us an heart to conſider his doings. The Rock of my heart knoweth that ſince I receaved the litle booke of the humane Rabbin I have ben ready to take the matter in hand: as in hand it muſt nedes be taken. And yf I wēt to the couch of my bed, yf I geve ſlepe to my eyes, or ſlumbering to my liddes without thinking upō an awnſwear unto the Iew for the praiſes of our God, let my hand forget to rule a pen, & let my toungue cleave to the ruff. But it was not for me to speak, as with the realmes conſēt, much or little, without publique auctority: nor to prevēt you in your owne office. Furthermore, the party hath writ ten moſt honorable praiſes concerning the Prince amōge nations, our ſoveraigne Lady: & he would make her the glory of all the earth. There hath ben none, there is none, there wil be none hereafter, a prayſer of her highnes, ſuch as he ſhewed himſelfe. And although my pen found her all this prayſe, with the children of the Eaſt, yet I am not fit to awnſwer for the maieſtie of the Q. becauſe I am of no place among you, notwithſtanding the manie & great preferments the Queen had to give: & ſent me word from the LL. by S. Iul. C. that I ſhould choſe honorable preferments. Notwithſtanding yf it be the Queenes pleaſure to appoynt me for this charge: then wil I goe about hartely, to ſet forth the honour of her highnes, as the golden head of her kingdome: & I wil not ſuffre the ſonnes of the Eaſt to be amazed: that there is no Patron to this cauſe among all ſturdy hartes of Britanie.
A digresſion to awnſwere a libeller, that the Iewes Epiſtle should be forged.
I will here digreſſe from tranſlating: to meet with ſome readers opinion. For, ſome ſay: Many in London are perſuaded that the Iewes Epistle was forged. For Wolf the Printer printed ſo much: & many countenanced the auctour of that fame: as D. Coſen, named in it, & M. Kuph, & Barker, that from the ſtage came to Paules croſſe, & N. Scrivener, & ſtationer Ox. & M. Lively, & ſtationer Iacſon, & A. w. & S. w. & He that durſt write ſo againſt a true Epiſtle ſent in Ebrew, to diſgrace him that should defend the generall cauſe should be as great a ſlave as ever Satan captived: A Purgopolyneicen Menechmus, Knaviter impudent, a brainſick woodcok, & a lunatique foole, a new Iulian Apostata, as allowing ſacrifice to be lawfull in Veſpaſianes warres, & toying with the name CHRIST, as not our Lordes name, but cōmon politique: Dan. 9. & denying that Prophecy had prefixed time for our Lordes birth, baptiſme, or death, or for ending of Ceremonies. No better could he be that should write untruly that the Iewes Epiſtle was forged: & the beleevers of ſuch should deſerve to be blowē up with pouder: But ſome Barrabas recorded thus: The Iewes Epiſtle ſaluteth you as you feygne. Till this be proved a ſlaunder, none should think upon awnſwear. And Vladiſlaus could not give Turkes more offence, & victory, then the forger or ſlaunderer here. Thus reaſonable men have thought. My awnſwer is: that the Turky Merchantes know, that the Iew doth acknowledg the Epiſtles to be his: & Grekes told them that the Rabbin highly commendeth ſo much awnſwer as he had: & a Middelburgean went from me, & much for my ſake to him: to whom he acknowledged the Epiſtle: & told him that the ſecond which he ſent & came to England, was the very ſame in a new copy: leaſt the firſt had perished. Now a rude Iew, by I. C. ſetting him on, tranſlated that: ſo, eyther men be extremly voyde of lerning, or full of impudency: & should abide Vladiſlaus punishment, for them ſelves & for ſuch as fight for them, as many have bene noted quickly gone. Beſides the libeller forged an whole letter, to play the villain: & skopheth Arc. wh. yelding that to deſcend to Hel in the Crede, is by cōſequent to aſcend unto Paradiſe: & rayleth upon D. B. his defenders, ſaying, that none by Scripture may deny that our L. went hence to Paradiſe: & he libelled, when he hoped for great ruine, matter for bad men: of whom ſome openly break out, in hope of his libelled asſiſtance. All this may convict the party to be in all badnes & madnes: till he bring a bar.
Lo, This anſwear is plain. Now I will returne to tranſlate: how in the former the Iew talketh of our happines through the bleſſings of the al ſufficient: & of the high & greate dignity of our Q. … (by him) as the ſun▪ & as terrible as a camp. After this the Iew maketh a petitiō for a matter grateful to him, thankful amōge us: a matter honorable, & nothing onerable. His ſoule deſired to obteyne from England ſome teachers of juſtice: which might guide al Ebrewes who delite in the ſhelter by Chriſt. & flee to repoſe al theyr hope under the winges of the Eternal majeſty. For it is to be feared leſt theyr way-pathes turne to be croked, for want of a guide and directer: & come to be of no worth, and decline in theyr voyage with tottering feet, & ſeke not the Eternal by the right path. Oh that his petition befell him, & Oh that the Mighty wold giuegive him his deſire. Truly gref parcheth me that the Breſtcare of judgement is gone from us, that we kepe back spech of holy truth, & cōtemne his petition, & reſtraine the requeſt of his tongue: & withold the Māna from his meaning. Oh that my wayes wer fit for a journey as this my ſoule brayeth after the ſtreames of water, for the honour of our natiō, & for the divine glory of our endes of the earth, the poſſeſſiō of the Sone in whō ſo many as truſt are ſure of happines. How honorable is the name of Cō ſtantine for his diligēce & care & buſi thoughtes to call nationes unto the mountaine of the Lord, the celeſtiall Siō, & unto the Ieruſalē which cometh downe from an high: our hiſtories ſhew how he wrote & ſent to Spain & India, carefull for Eaſt & Weaſt. Yf we come of his mothers kindred, fleſh of his fleſh, & bone of his bone, ſhall not we goe after his ſteppes in the ſteppes of Chriſt? Is not our ſoveraī Lady our motherlik Sarah, & a new Helena? Ther muſt be ſent a meſſinger to the Virgin ſea of Eliſa that ſhalbe a builder of the holy city. My hope is the L. wil not despiſe, nor your Grace. ſhe wil not diſdayne to ſend unto the city of Cōſtātin an Orator that can handle the Law, aD. of divinity & an Evāgeliſt. For the mighty Emperour the king of Thogarmah deſired to know the force of our religiō & to ſee how the high Ieruſalē is built amōg us, which is paved with all preciouſnes: her ſtones make a foundation of Saphires: The windowes are of the Chaldy Chalcedon or Carbuncle: & the gates of Chryſtall ſtones: & pleaſant ſtones are in all her borders. VVhen he ſeeth how beautifull our city is, he will have a deſire to dwel with us in peace. Your wiſdome knoweth well what the wordes of the Ambaſſadour cloſly touched concerning an hope exceeding great. VVe might bring all to paſſe by the help of God, and our purpoſe ſhould not be hindred. And yf we could turne him to our ſide, what goodly dwellinges had we recovered, what pleaſant ſoyles had come again to us: as ſtreames ſpred abroad: as a garden upon a river. As the Santall which God planted: as the Cedres by the waterſide. VVe feele that he is a mighty King: & hath the ſtrength of the Rhinoceros. The mountaynes of the Eaſt obey him & principall nations have ben tamed of him. And who wold linger, or faint, or be weary in affayres for ſo great a perſonage. Yf wee ſet one, the Almighty will furniſh with ſtrength: & will encreaſe might, wher litle at the firſt was. And yf our ſucceſſ be good, we ſhould ridd our ſide of much harme: & his ſtrength wold turne to be our perpetuall mighty ſtrength. And touching this Iew, newes upon newes rūne & tidinges upon tidinges, ſhewed by letters that this Rabbin hath drawen many with him to heare the whiſtling of the flockes of Chriſt. Yf that be true, our duty requireth we ſettle them: & to confirme them, leſt theyr feet ſtumble, and theyr ſteppes ſlide, and ſome of them turne unto hereſies. Moreover I think that the ſecond Epiſtle which periſhed at Strawesburge, declared more oboundantly the counſell of the hart of the Rabbin, & cryed out to find ſome coning doctor, to teach readily the frame of all the bible. And it were an eaſy matter to teach them all this: & it ſhould be a glory for our Quene, & as longe as the Mone primeth for ever and ever. And this much for the journey unto the City of Conſtantina.
At the laſt the Ebrewes deſire was to find ſo much favour as that he might have from vsus a treatiſe of the written word: what conſent & perfection the Bible had. The handling of this requireth alſo a confuting of the Thalmud geven, as Iewes ſay, by word of mouth from man to man. Here he made an high petition, & requeſted very depe matter And he knew well enough what coſtly ſtudies muſt be joyned togeather for this compaſſe of lerning. At the firſt all the Scripture muſt be abridged, & the accidentes: the incorruption of the text: what tongues the Bible hath: what groūd we have for underſtanding the tongue of the Law: and the joyning of all bookes into one body: and how the glory of Chriſt & his ſalvation doth breath through every ſeverall parcell. After this muſt come the Thalmudiques, Iewes workes: upon the Law, Prophetes, & Hagiographa. So the ground of tranſlatiō ſoundly ſhould be manifeſted. It is knowen & famous how the congregation of Romiſtes fighteth to overthrow the pureneſs of the Text: alſo they deny the Ebrew characters forme now, to be Moſaicall, and deny the vowels to be Moſaicall, & ſay, the eight hundreth forty eigh margent readinges, check the text as corrupt And thus before the ſimple folk, the Pope hath fell, caſt downe, & overthrowē the glory of the Prophetes. Againſt ſuch dealinges we ſhould ſet furth the honour of the volumes writtē, by the Mesſingers of God, our doctour, & our teacher of juſtice: and to combat with them which ſay ther is corruption or alteration in the Prophetes Text. And theyr ſpech doth ſpare a truth. For the congregation of the lerned Iewes returned from Babel, men of light, pure, aboundant, mighty, have ſet up markes & a wall about the Law to kepe it ſincere & ſound. The Iew knoweth this full well. Yet to ſhew our conſent with him, this matter muſt be handled. So we ſhall beſene not to have any mynd of agreement and fellowſhip with them which ſay, the Originall, (Ebrew or Greke) is corrupted. Moreover touching the New Teſtamēt we muſt nedes declare wherfore it was written in the tongue of the ſonnes of Iaphet: & how God acquainted the Iewes by litle & litle to take the tongue of theyr neighboures. So Ezra recordeth certen Epiſtles in the tongue of Aram Gen. 10. uſed in Chaldea & Perſia. So Daniel wrote half his book in Arams tongue. And afterwardes the Septuaginta did ſet over the holy volume into the tongue of Iavan. notwithſtanding all this the Iewes doe greatly marveile even unto this day why the New Teſtament was not written in the Iewes language: (or tongue of Chanaan. Eſ. 19.) and thy have forgotten what theyr old Doctours ſay: in the Thalmud Ieruſalemy, in Megilah fol. 71. They ſhall in time ſpeake in the tongue of Iapheth in the houſe of Sem. This thing is a great matter: & goodly to be ſhewed how it is come to paſs. So, to ſhew directly all the drift of the Scripture, this labour will require travell. For the Iewes in this argument relie upon the Miſnayoth or Thalmudiques. But you & your felowes upon our S S. Doctoures. And yf you ſo deale with the Iew, he and his people wold deſpiſe us all. Here I will ſhew my poore opinion, what ſhould be done for declaration of the wiſdome of our faith, according to the expectation of the King of Turky handled in the Iewes Epiſtle. For I have reaſon to think that by the Kinges commaundement, & not of him ſelf, he wold write as he did. Thus the caſe ſtandeth. VVhen we expound the Law, we muſt ſerch carefully, the propre force of every word ſo well as we can: & ſo we muſt bring the beſt ſence that we can. For every commaundement litle or great, muſt be weighed with the balance of the hart. For the hart hath comon judgement planted from the wiſdome of the Eternall God. Now yf comon judgement cannot bear the ſpeach: or yf it goe againſt comon ſenſe, then muſt we ſeke a trope from ſome other place of the Law or holy ſcripture. For the comon judgement graven in the mind, that is the ground of all expoſitiones. And all natiōs agree in that. For the Angel betwixt man & God is the light wherwith he was lightned at his coming into the world. And upon this ground all our religion is ſettled. And we muſt nedes handle this fully for the Eaſterne natiōs. And this much for the Scriptures, how the meaning ſhould be opened. There remayneth a laboure of longe winges, for joyning of all the bookes: from theyr begining with the creation of the world, unto the end of the laſt book: which is called the Revelation of S. Iohn, which ſealeth up all. The joyning of the curtines in the Tabernacle was not better faſtened with ſtringes or claſping together, then all the bookes one enter into the other. And three bookes ſpecially are full of the brightnes of Chriſt, & beames of his glory: the book of Daniel, The foreworke Goſpell, & the viſion of S. Iohn. How denty unto the palate be theyr wordes? how ſwete unto the ſoule be theyr ſpeches? They are more worth then Gold, & much Feſs Ore, & ſweter then hony & the dropping of the combe. For Daniel ſhewed how Michael ſtode for his people under Babel, Madaj, Macedon & the Kinges of the North, with the Kinges of Egipt. how they walked in an image; became as chaff: were eaten up of fier. But the people of Chriſt was ſtill ſaved, & they who feared God were more honored in Babel then ever any ſhould have bene under the Kinges of Iudah. Alſo they were taught of the very day when Chriſt who was holy above the ſonnes of David, ſhold conſecrate himſelf for us. Yea all nationes knew, whē the King of glory ſhould come into the worle. Alſo, Flavius Ioſephus, beſide his teſtimony that Chriſt aroſe again the third day, he confeſſeth that in his dayes expectation was of a King who ſhould reigne over all the world. Alſo Romanes wrote in the ſame ſort. And all this bred from the book of Gracious Daniel, whoſe veſiones are ſweteneſs it ſelf, & his expoſitiones are as clear as chryſtall, concerning what ſhould befall the Iewes, untill the Redeemer came into the world. Alſo the Grekes recorde all that Daniell prophecyed, to have fallen out. And as he himſelf ſhewed in work the force of his name, when he tranſpoſed one Letter to make Balat Esh, tzar, he hath broken out a fyre to the foe, & ſhewed that ther none Bel, Taſh, Azzar, Bel a ſtorer of wealth: but Bel he is a fier of ſorow to his worſhippers & the God of Heavē is Taſh Atzar, the ſtorer of wealth: as he calleth his name & the Chaldeās King his name how they agree with Gods preſent judgemēt then: that the very letters placing ſhould be regarded: ſo Heathen ſtories record, that his prophecies be true, & the matters which he wrot of be famouſly knowē among them: as the fall of Babel, of Paras, of Alexanders howſe, and all the warres of the Kinges of the North, & the Kinges of Egipt: and all theyr mariages how they were mingled in the ſeede of man, and cleaveth not together till the Romanes beſtript them of theyr Kingdomes by the yere that Chriſt came into the world, and was borne in Bethlechem Iehuda, in the reigne of Auguſtus. Any ſimple man might ſee the wiſdome of our faith, yf a ready Doctour ſhould teach him the Prophecy of Belat Eſh Tzar. Daniel Taſh Aozar, had layd up ſtore full great: & he is, as it were a bridge from the end of the captiuity unto the dayes of Chriſt. And thence ſpringes the Goſpell of the fower Evangeliſtes, Mathew, Marc, Luke, Iohn. They are as the four beaſtes, in the head of whoſe bookes is the ſimilitude of the Throne, of the Kingdome of David: and on the ſimilitude of the Throne, the ſimilitude of a man in dede. He is Chriſt. They have declared in few wordes the perfect knowledge of God with the Spirit of fier & judgemēts & a fierie Law was with theyr diſciples. How goodly are the ſteppes of Chriſt in theyr ſtory, how precious are his workes & wonders: his right hand wroght valiantly to ſubdue the old enemy, that he ſhould not deceave the ſonnes of Adam. They have gathered all the ſweetenes of all the Prophetes to honour the honorable in ſtrength, ſynce the coming of the ſonne of man with the cloudes of heaven: and after his reſurrection, he went unto the auncient of dayes, and was brought before him, and to him was geven power and honour and kingdome, and all people nations and tongues worſhipped him. Thoſe things have they writtē, and theyr true wordes be as light ſpred upon the mountaines. Alſo Iohn in the Revelation buildeth the high Ieruſalem: after that Chriſt had deſtroyed the lower. And he teſtifieth that the covenant for all nationes made them the ſervantes of God in every country under Heaven. Only as in Daniel the ſainctes of the moſt high Trinity, wer alwayes in affliction, ſo while the world endureth, all that deſire life of the world to come, the world of recompence, ſhalbe whittened & purified, through diſtreſs & anguiſh. Moreover he comprehendeth the four beaſtes of Daniel a new by like dealinges in one beaſt compoūded of the foure firſt: & the dealinges of this beaſt wilbe ſtirring untill light and darkenes have theyr end. Theſe thinges gracious Iohn ſetteth furth. Your high honour ſhall wonderfully advaunce the glory of the Goſpell yf you afford a declaratiō of theſe three workes in particular concerning the brightnes of the light of Chriſt: whoſe glory covereth the heavens, and his praiſe filleth the Earth. And furthermore of Chriſt you hav an heavenly matter of ſpech. His barres reach through all the curtines of the holy Scriptures: Into which, breath of life is inſpired, unto ſalvation: as he hath bene the hope of the auncient Fathers ſince Adam was ſet upon the earth: a bruſer of the old ſerpentes head. Alſo he is properly Melchiſedek, King of Iuſtice and King of peace: in whom all the families of the Earth ſhould be bleſſed. And he is the unblemiſhed Lamb, and by his blood we are redeemed: and God gave him for our ſinnes: but he ſhall ſit upō the Throne of David for ever: and he at the time prefixed was kild to make reconciliation for ſin: & he confirmed the covenant for the many, that is, for all nationes, & he ariſe & deſtroyd city & temple, to make an heavēly city that Ieruſalem which cometh downe from heaven. Great grace may be ſhewed in a true narration for all theſe poinctes. The joy of hart in all the readers wilbe pleaſant & permanent, when they goe throw Law, Prophet, & Hagiographa. No old gold can match the price; no ſilver can be wayed to the valew, it cannot be peiſed with Ophirs Cethem, with the precious Beryll or (Iſachars) Saphir. Doubtles a lerned man, & eloquent Oratour, one of a thouſand, which could expound from the Apoſtles according to the brightenes of theyr wordes, how all dependeth upon the ſalvation of Chriſt: & how ther is no other name under heavē for which God gave charge to give honour for the world to come, by one booke of direction here, ſhould be of high price, & delightfull full of comfort and eſteeme. The joyes and price wold match all Iewells: & veſſels of Feſs Gold wold be geven for it. The gold and Chryſtall wold not match it: the Ramoth and Gabiſh ſtones ſhould not be regarded as it. And all this doth the learned Rabbin comprehend: who liſtned what wilbe awnſweared from England, & geveth all heed of attention. The laſt petitiones cōteyned cloſly the Thalmudiques. For them a learned book ſhould be made, to allow the right, and to damne the wronge: while the Apoſtles maner is ſhewed: how they handle Moyſes 613 Lawes: and all their ſpeches are called to thoſe comō places: ſo to ſhew all theyr wordes, rule upon rule, rule upon rule: line upon line, line upon line, how they rule the Thalmudiques. A liuely man of good valour wold performe all this. The King of Togarmah or Turky, wiſhed, deſireth, and wold have the knowledge of our faith: the Quenes Ambaſſadour is the reporter: a Iew wrot it again and again: we hahe the praiſes of our God and of our Quene: he calleth for a guid: he hath geven us the honour asking inſtruction of us.
And now the eyes of all look upon you, low & high mark you, what you will awnſwear for the glory of our God and Kingdome, & wiſdome of our nation. All Kinges in the world will marke, how you will cary this matter: whether to glory & honour for ever, or to eternall ſhame & reproch.
To the chriſtian Reader.
FOr better understanding of this Turky cauſe, a narratiō of the whole matter may be added. There was one M. Ed. Barton made the Quenes Agent at Constantina, called Byzantium▪ before Constantin our glory, hating the Idoles of old Rome, removed the Empire ſeat thither, & called it Conſtantines city, & new Rome. This Agent ther being a ſpecial wiſe man grew in great favour with the great Turk: whoſe mother, as report is, was a Iew. Alſo he fell into acquaintance with the chief Rabine▪ of the Iewes Synagoge: to whom he had expounded the book of Scripture conſent: as the Iew himſelf in effect recordeth: & greatly moved him to affect Christianes. Now L. Barton, the Rabbin, & the Ieweſs Quene mother, all three dealt with the Turk to conſider that all Turkes perish for ever: & how unnaturall a thing it was for a Father to have his Funerall celebrated with the death of an exceeding great troupe of Sonnes: and told how Chriſtianity were better: & by peace with the Emperour & change of countreys, his ſonnes might be amonge Chriſtianes, & theyr Princes ſonnes wold gladly dwell in his territories. The Turk began to conſult how his owne ſide could be brought to that. Then L. Barton gave him this intelligence: that ther was one in England: who from a child had night & day ſtudied the Ebrew Bible with all Iudaique Hebrewes: & the Grek holy Teſtament Equally, expounding the tō gue & matter of the old Teſtamēt, with all kindes of Greke auctours: which in the univerſity he profeſſed, after one yeres abode there. For he was of his acquaintance, & knew all his affayres. Then he bad …nd for him: & he should teach in Ebrew or Greke, in what Church …e wold in Byzantio: with ſafe garde, & all countenance: that by Iewes & Grekes aſſent, the Geniſares might come to theyr Parentes faith, & be glad to live for a better hope. All Germanie knew, …hat in the Turkes court ſtrange alteration was: & he ſuffred Buda …nvictualed three dayes: that it might have ben taken: but that our Generall ſtayed to have the Duk Mathias to come thither to have …hat glory: But before his coming it was victualled. This & L. Bar…ons auctority as Mardochais Germanie knew. Novv to allure the Chriſtian thither the learned Ievv is ſet on. He shevveth him ſelf …o be as learned a Rabbin as any in the world. Cōſtantinopole Iewes …ccuſed by Chriſoſtome very wiſely from Dan. 12. by ſundry very learned narrations, that therin God reckoning the very dayes of An…iochus rage, as for the 400. yeres affliction Gen. 15. & for the 70. in Babylon Ieremy 25. wold not ſuffre them voyd of time limited in …urther affliction from God, thoſe Byzantian Ievves ſtyl provided for the chief city, a chief Rabbin: as for Ieruſalem & Nehardeah, in Meſopotamia upon Euphrates. Th…ſe three places have the chief Rabbines in the world. And he of Conſtantinopole shevved him …elf ſuch. He writeth an Epiſtle full of Rabbish elegancy. And with more reverence then any Ievv might give a Chriſtian, that forſoke …ot his ovvne ſide. For they have a Canon, that, none ſeke Phyſik of … Chriſtian for body or ſoule, in Maymony. The ſum of his letter was, …hat the party wold come to Byzantian Rome, to beſtovv his Ebrevv …tudies among Ebrevves: & not live wher none knevv theyr uſe. He should be a Ietro to the Ievves, in theyr wildernes. And he should …ule all Divinity ſcholes ther. It had ben death to him to have writ…en ſo unleſs the Turk bade him: and the Ievves in all places had ſone …en his accuſers. This Epiſtle was ſent to England, as a litle booke: to …ALD. STAPERS, by L. Barton, writing that yf the party came to Conſtantinopolin it might turne to the good of Chriſtendome. Theſe fevv wordes might tell all not Atheā by envy, what the matter was. The LL. ſavv it: & none of theyr ſcholers could read it, as it hath ſtrange writing, & a ſtyle moſt ſtrange. Archb. wh. bade that it should be ſent to me. I was then at Baſil. I left England, being perſecuted for ſayng, that Barovv & Greenvvood wer pardon for all, as they were, but for denying that our L. went to Hel. And the very Ieſuites of Mentz in a Grek letter to my ſelf ſay: the Church never beleeued that our L. went to worſe lodge then the Fathes had. All living are ſuperi, all dead inferi: and againſt Epicures we confeſs our L. went to inferos, the ſoules departed. Before execution of Barovv & greenvvood tvvo dayes B. Elmer requeſted a chaplein of N. N. to requeſt me from him, to talk with the tvvo bent to die: ſaying, as ſure as I live, yf he talk with them, he will ſave theyr life. The Chaplein promiſed to move me, but did not. Othervviſe he had requeſted me by an other. But the Chaplein had rather tvvo should dye: then N. should be detected, what impriſonment & coile his Gehē na kindled: as his ſlime ſtill rageth in the ſame badnes & madnes, vvishing as Nero that all might be kild at a blovv that is not of theyr hereſie. To be revenged of him, requeſting leave of my L. keper, I went over ſea, & at Midelburg I printed of the Kinges Right: & of the Grek Credes phraſe: that by Heathen, 70. Apoſtles, or Thalmudizing Greke, it never meant more or leſs in writers of esteeme, then to go hence to God. And that in the Godly it was all one with this: to aſcend into Paradiſe. From Middelburg I went to Helvetia for this cauſe. An Helvetian told me ther, that the Pope had ſent one D. Piſtorius to diſpute, that the Scripture was corrupt: & therfore the Church muſt iudge: & yf our halfe wold not yeld to that: he wold fortify his ſide to fell ours. The Helvetian told me, that foyling him I should hinder warres. I went thither: he provoked me, upon occaſion of ſpech, being at Fribourge, when I was in Baſil 20. miles off. I wrote to him in Grek wherin he gloried: how he was led amiſſe. He three dayes after commēded my poore ſtudies moſt highly to our Tigurines: who ſent me his letter: but in the end, he wrot in Greke, he wold not diſpute. That was shewed to the Popes Captaines: then they ſayd: ſo our cōmisſiō for war ceſſeth: ſeing the Popes D. is broken. A learned man Lodovicus Lucius will teſtify and ſweare this: & the LL. of Berne, Zurick, & Baſil offred all ſufficient: hut I told I was bent to an other. This was my baſil voiage wher I printed the two Eb. Epiſtles.
Finis.
End of the text · Hugh Broughton, Two Epistles in the Year 1599 (1606)