The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 1 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of the Iewes that persecuted Christ.
BY how much the offence of the Iews was more hainous, not onelyonly in despising and rejecting the Lord of glory, whom God had sent amongst them for their salvation, but also in being so wicked as to put him to death; by so much the more hath God bestowed his fearfull indignation upon them: as at many other times, so especially by that great calamity and desolation which they abid at their last destruction, begun by Vespasian, and perfected by Titus; which was so great and lamentable, as the like was never heard of untill this day: for if the sacking and overthrow of Ierusalem, then when Ieremy the Prophet made his booke of Lamentations over it, was reputed more grievous than the subversion of Sodome, which perished suddainly, how much more then is this last destruction without all comparison, by reason of those horrible and strange miseries, which were there both suddainly & in continuance of time committed? Neither truly is there any History which containeth a description of so many miseries as this doth: as it may appeare by Iosephus record of it. For after that they had been afflicted in divers countries, and tossed up and downe by the Deputies a long while, there were slaine at Caesarea in one day twenty thousand: At Alexandria another time fifty thousand: at Zabulon and Joppe eight thousand and foure hundred, besides the burning of the two Towns: at Damascus ten thousand that had their throats cut. As for Jerusalem, when it had a long time endured the brunt of the warre both within and without, it was pinched with so sore a famine, that Ioseph of the wars of the Iews, l. 2. c. 19. 21. 22, 23 Lib. 6. cap. 16. Lib. 7. c. 7, 8. Lib. 6. cap. 16.the dung of Oxen served some for meat: others fed upon the leather of old shooes and buckles; and divers women were driven to the extiemity to boyle and eat their owne children: Many thinking to save their lives by flying to the Enemy, were taken and slit in pieces, in hope to finde gold and silver in their guts; in one night two thousand were thus piteously dealt withall; and at the last the whole City was by force taken, and the holy Temple conslumed by fire. And this in generall was the miserable issue of that lamentable warre: during which, fourscore and seventeen thousand Iewes were taken Prisoners, and eleven hundred thousand slaine; for within the city were inclosed from the beginning to the ending, all those that were assembled together from all quarters of the earth, to keep the Passeover, as their custome was. As touching the prisouers, some were carried to Rome in triumph; others were here and there massacred at their conquerors wils; somes lot it was to be torn in pieces and devoured of wild-beasts; others were constrained to march in troops against their fellowes, and kill one another as if they had been enemies. All which evils came upon them for the despight and fury which they used towards the Sonne of God and our Saviour; and that was the cause why he, foreseeing this desolation, wept over Jerusalem, and said, That it should be besieged on every side, and rased to the ground, and that not one stone should be left upon another, because it knew not the time of her visitation. Likewise said he to the woman that bewailed him as he was led to the Crosse, That they should not weep for him, but for themselves and their children, because of the dayes of sorrow which were to come, wherein the barren and those that had no children, and the dugs that never suckled should bee counted happy. So horrible and pitifull was the destruction of this people, that God would not suffer any of his owne children to bee wrapped in their miseries, nor to perish with this perverse and unbelieving Nation: for (as Eusebius reporteth) they were a little before the arrivall of these mischiefes, advertised from heaven by the speciall providence of God, to forsake the City, and retire into some far Country where none of these evils might come neer them. The reliques of this This example belongs also to the contempt of the Word. lib. 1. cap. 34.wretched people that remained after this mighty tempest of Gods wrath, were dispersed and scattered throughout all nations under heaven, beeing subject to them with whom they sojourned, without King, Prince, Judge, or Magistrate to lead and guide them, or to redresse their wrongs, but were altogether at the discretion and commandement of the Lords of those Countries wherein they made their abode; so that their condition and kind of life is at this day so vile and contemptible (as experience sheweth) that no nation in the world is halfe so miserable, which is a manifest badge of Gods vengeance yet abiding upon them.
And yet for all this, these dispersed reliques ceased not to vomit out the foame of their malice against Christ, it being so deep rooted an evill, and so inveterate, that time nor reason could revoke them from it. And no marvell, seeing that God useth to punish the greatest sinnes with other sinnes, as with the greatest punishment: so they having shut their eyes to the light when it shined among them, are now given over to a reprobate and hardened sence; otherwise it were not possible they should remain so obstinate. And albeit (God be thanked) we have many converts of them, yet I dare say for the most part, they remain in malitious blindnesse, barking against, and despighting both our Saviour himselfe, and all that professe his name, although their punishments have been still according to their deserts: as by these examples following shall appeare.
The Jewes of Inmester, a Towne lying betwixt Calchis and Antioch, being upon a time celebrating their accustomed playes and feasts, in the midst of their jollity, as their use is, they contumeliously reviled not only Christians, but even Christ himselfe: for they got a Christian childe, and hung him upon a Crosse, and after many mocks and taunts, making themselves merry at him, they whipt him to death. What greater villany could there be than this? Or wherein could these Devils incarnate shew forth their malice more apparently than thus? not content once to have crucified Christ the Saviour of the World, but by imitation to performe it againe; and as it were to make knowne, that if it were undone, they would doe it: So also handled they a boy called Simeon, of two years and an halfe old, in the yeare of our Lord 1476. and an another in Fretulium five years after that. But above all, they massacred a poore Carpenters son in Hungary Ioh. Fincel. l. 3in hatred of Christ, whom they falsly supposed to bee a Carpenters son: for they cut in two all his veines, and suckt out his blóud with quills. And being apprehended and tortured, they confessed that they had done the like at Thirna foure yeares before, and that they could not be without Christiàn bloud, for therewithall they anointed their Priests. But at all these times they suffered just punishment; for being still taken, they were either hanged, burned, murthered, or put to some other cruell death, at the discretion of …he Magistrates. Moreover, they would at divers times buy the Host of some Popish Priest, and thrust it through with their knives, and use it most despightfully. This did one Bleazarus in the yeare of our Lord 1492, the 22 of October, but was burnt for his labour: and eight and thirty at another time for the same villanie, by the Marquesse Ioachinus: for the caitifes would suffer themselves to be baptised for none other end, but more securely to exercise their villanies.
Another Jew is recorded in the yeare of our Lord 147 to have stoln the picture of Christ out of a Church, & to have thrust it through many times Casp Hedi…, lib. 3. cap. 6.with his sword, whereout, when bloud miraculously issued, hee amazed, would have burned it, but being taken in the manner, the Christians stoned him to death. The truth of which story, though I will not stand to avow, yet I doubt not but it might be true, considering that either the Devill might by his cunning so foster and confirme their superstition, or rather that seeing Christ is the subject of their religion as well as of ours, though after a corrupt and sacrilegious forme, and that the Jew did not so much aime at their religion, as at Christ the subject of it, the Lord might shew a miracle, not to establish their errour, but to confound the Jews impiety, especially in those young yeares of the Church.
In our English Chronicles are recorded many histories of the malitious practises of the Jews against Christians, in hatred of Christ Jesus our Saviour, whom they in contempt call our crucified God; and especially this devillish practise was most frequent amongst them here in England, as in Germany, France, and other places where they were suffered to inhabite; namely every year to steale some Christian man… childe from the parents, Nic. Trivis.and on good Friday to crucifie him in despight of Christ and Christian religion. Thus they served a childe at Lincolne named Hugo, of nine years of age, in the yeare 1255, in the reigne of Henry the third, and another at Norwich about the same time; having first circumcised him and detained Cestrens. Flores histor.him a whole yeare in custody. In which two facts they were apprehended; and at Lincolne thirty two of them put to death, and at Norwich twenty, But this was not all the punishment that they endured: as they proceeded and increased in their malice against Christ and his religion, so he proceeded in vengeance and indignation against them: First therefore at the coronation of Richard the first, whereas some of them presumed to enter into the Court-gate contrary to the Kings expresse commandement, a great tumult arising thereupon, a number of them were slaine, and their houses fired in the City of London, by the raging multitude and from thence the example spred into all other countries of the Land: for they following the example of the Londoners, havocked, spoyled, killed, and fired as many Jewes as they could come by; untill by the Kings Writs unto the Sheriffe of every County the tumult was appeased, and some few of the principall authors and stirrers of this outrage punished. And it is to bee noted, that this yeare the Iewes held for their Iubilie, but it turned to them a yeare of confusion. Neither were they thus massacred onelyonly by the Christians, but they became butchers of themselves also: For in the City of Yorke, when as they had obtained the occupying of a certaine Castle for their preservation, and afterward were not willing to restore it to the Christians againe, and being ready to bee vanquished, and offering much money for their lives, when as that would not be accepted, by the counsell of an old Jew among them, every one with a sharpe rasor cut anothers throat, whereby a thousand and five hundred of them were at that present destroyed. At North-Hampton a number of them were burnt, for enterprizing to fire the City with wilde-fire, which they had prepared for that purposes besides many grievous impositions and taxes which were laid upon them. At last by King Edward the first they were utterly banished this Realme of England, in the yeare 1291: For which deed the Commons gave unto the King a Fifteen. And about the same time also they were banished out of France for the like practices; and still the wrath of God ceaseth not to punish them in all places wheresoever they inhabit.
But that their Impiety may bee yet more discovered, I will here set downe the confession of one of their own Nation, a Jew of Ratisbone converted 10. Fineel. l. 3. de Miracul.to the Faith, one very skilfull in the Hebrew tongue. This man being asked many questions about their superstition and ceremonies, answered very fitly: and being demanded, why they thirsted so after Christian mens bloud? He said it was a mystery onelyonly knowne to the Rabbines and highest persons; but that this was their custome he knew, when any of them was ready to dye, a Rabbine anointed him with this bloud, using these or such like words: If hee that was promised in the Law and Prophets hath truly appeared, and if this Iesus crucified bee the very Messias, then let the bloud of this innocent man that diedin his Faith, cleanse thee from thy sins, and help thee to eternall life. Nay Epiphanius affirmeth, That the Jews of Tyberias did more confidently affirme it than thus: for they would whisper into a dying mans eare, Beleeve in Iesus of Nazareth whom our princes crucified, for he shall come to judge thee in the latter day: All which declareth how impious they are to goe against their owne conscience, and upon how fickle ground all their Religion standeth.