Explication of the Judicial Laws of Moses, Part 1 · Chapter 15
CHAPTER XV. Whether the Iewes ſhould be tolerated in a Chriſtian Common-wealth or not?
ROM. 11. 23. And they alſo, if they abide not ſtill in unbeliefe, ſhall be graffed in: for God is able to graffe them in againe.
THere may be many reaſons alledged, why this ſort of people ſhould not be tolerated amongſt Chriſtians.
Firſt, if yee reſpect their profeſſion and Religion, they are to be ſecluded from us Chriſtians; and ſecondly, in reſpect of their dealing with us in their civill contracts and bargaining.
As for their Religion. Firſt, they deteſt us Chriſtians who profeſſe Chriſt, for Chriſts cauſe. Secondly, they hold many damnable and blaſphemous opinions concerning Chriſt; firſt, for his forerunner Iohn the Baptiſt; ſecondly, they hate Marie the Mother of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt; thirdly, they oppoſe themſelues againſt Chriſts natures; fourthly, againſt his Offices, King, Prieſt, and Prophet; fiftly, againſt his death upon the croſſe; ſixtly, againſt his reſurrection; ſeventhly, they oppoſe themſelues to his imputed righteouſneſſe; and laſtly, to his Goſpell, and they expect a glorious Meſſias to come.
Firſt, in deteſtation of Chriſt, they deteſt us Chriſtians, they call us [Goijm] Gentes and Edomites, and whenforeign v…ſtavit. they would welcome a Chriſtian, they ſay welcome Shed, that is, Devill, hinking that the common peopleThe Iewes deteſt Chriſtians. underſtand not the word; and they curſe us Chriſtians daily, anathema ſit externis in ſerpente, that is, they wiſh that we who are without their ſocietie, may be execrable as the Serpent.
But they deteſt thoſe moſt of all who are converted from Iudaiſme to Chriſtianitie, and they pray three times in the day againſt them, morning, midday, and evening, and thus they pray, Ne ſit quies Apoſtatis, ne que ſpes.
Secondly, they expect Elias Tiſhbites to be the forerunnerThe Iewes expect Elias to come. of their Meſſias; and when they cannot reſolue their hard queſtions to their Schollers, they ſay, Tiſhbi ſolvet nodos, that is, when Elias Tiſhbites ſhall come, heforeign will reſolue all doubts, but Elias is come alreadie, and they hauehave done to him whatſoeuer they liſted, Math. 17. 12.
They hate Marie the Mother of Chriſt, and they call her [Mara] bitterneſſe, and the herbe called Herba Mariae, by them is called Herba ſuſpenſi, becauſe Marie bare Chriſt, who was crucified upon the Croſſe: ſo a peice of money called groſſa Mariae, they called it in deſpite, groſſa ſuſpenſi.
Then they deny the two natures of Chriſt, for theyThe Iewes deny the two natures of Chriſt. deny his God-head, inceptum eſt nomen Iehova profanari. Targum Hieroſolymitanum paraphraſeth it thus, illi caeperunt idola colere, & fecerunt ſibi Deos erroneos, quod cognominabant de ſermone domini, he underſtandeth here blaſphemouſly Chriſt, calling him Deum erroneum, whom the Scripture call foreign. Of old they ſaid Deus ſanctus & domus Iudicij ejus fecerunt hominem, by the houſe of Iudgement they meant the trinity of perſons, for all the inferior houſe of Iudgment conſiſted of three, and they ſaid Duorum non eſt judicium, ſo the Chaldie paraphraſt paraphraſeth the trinitie of perſons by this paraphraſe; but now, the Iewes doe ſet themſelues againſt this, and they deny it flatly.
They ſet themſelues againſt his offices; he was anointedThe Iewes ſet thēſelues againſt the offices of Chriſt. King, Prieſt, and Prophet [Hameſhiah] that excellent Prophet, but in deteſtation of Chriſt, they will not call their Tardigradum, or ſlow-comming Chriſt Meſsiah, but foreign delibutum, they hate ſo the name of Chriſt.
They mocke the Kingly office of Chriſt, Mat. 27. 19. they put a crown of thornes upō his head for a crowne; and they put a reed in his hand for a Scepter: So they mocke his Prieſtly office, he ſaved others, let him ſaue himſelfe, Verſ. 40. and his Propheticall office, Propheſie thou O Chriſt, who is he that ſmiteth thee. Mat. 26. 68.
So they mocke his death, and his crucifying upon the Croſſe, they call Chriſts croſſe the Woofe and the Warpe, and ſo myſtically when they ſpeake one to another amongſt Chriſtians, they call Chriſt the Woofe and the Warpe.
They deny the reſurrection of Chriſt, Mat. 28. 15. and it is noyſed abroad amongſt them unto this day, that Ieſus Chriſt was ſtolen away by his Diſciples, and that he did not riſe againe.
So they oppoſe his imputed righteouſneſſe, and they ſay, that every fox muſt pay his owne skin to the flayer, and they ſay, ſit mors mea expiatio cunctarum tranſgreſsionum mearum.
And laſtly they oppoſe themſelues againſt his Goſpell, they call foreign [Aven gilajon] nuntium vanum.foreign
Secondly, if ye will reſpect their dealing with us in civill matters: they are worthy to be ſecluded from the ſocietie of Chriſtians.
They care not to forſweare themſelues to us Chriſtians, they are moſt mercileſſe uſurers in exacting from the Chriſtians, and they who profeſſe Phyſicke amongſt them, care not to poyſon Chriſtians, whom they call [Goijm,] Gentiles.
And if we ſhall adde further, that no falſe Religion ſhould be tolerated, and the Lord commanded heretickes to be put to death, how then ſhould they be ſuffered in a Chriſtian Common-wealth?
But we muſt put a difference betwixt theſe miſcreantsWhat Iewes may be ſuffered in a Commonwealth, and who not. who raile againſt the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and blaſpheme his name; and thoſe poore wretches who liue in blindnes yet, but do not raile blaſphemouſly againſt Chriſt; thoſe we ſhould pitie: Firſt, we ſhould pitie them forThe reaſons that ſhould moue us to pitie the Iewes. their fathers cauſe the Patriarchs. Secondly, we ſhould pitie them, becauſe Chriſt is come of them who is bleſſed for ever; thirdly, the Oracles of God were committed to them, Rom. 3. 2. and the law was the inheritance of Iacob, Deut. 33. 4. they were faithfull keepers of the ſame to others, and they were like a lanterne who held out the light to others, although they ſaw not with it themſelues. Fourthly, when we Gentiles were out of the Covenant they prayed for us, Cant. 8. 8. We hauehave a little ſiſter, what ſhall we doe for her? So when they are out of the Covenant; We hauehave an Elder brother, Luk. 16. what ſhall we doe for him? And laſtly, becauſe of the hope of their converſion, that they ſhall be graffed in againe, Rom. 11.
Some Chriſtian Common-wealths admit them, but with theſe Caveats.
Firſt, that they ſubmit themſelues to the poſitiue Caveat 1 Lawes of the Countrie wherein they liue.
Secondly, that they raile not againſt Chriſt, and be Caveat 2 not offenſiue to the Chriſtians.
Thirdly, that they be not ſuffered to marrie with the Caveat 3 Chriſtians to ſeduce them.
Fourthly, that they be not permitted to exhauſt Chriſtians Caveat 4 with their uſurie.
Fiftly, that they be not admitted to any publicke Caveat 5 charge, and that they be diſtinguiſhed from the reſt of the people by ſome badge or by their apparell: with theſe Caveats, ſundry Common-wealths hauehave admitted them.