to Christianitie and became Physitian to Pope Benedict 13. at the instigation of the Pope he writ a book to confute the Iews which he called Hebraeomastix The Iews Whip or Hebrews scourge in which he acutely and substantially sets upon them whipping them with their own Talmud and best Rabbins making their own Authors prove Iesus Christ to be the onely Messias and that he is already come When he publish'd the book in Spain it is said by the clearnesse of his conviction above five thousand Iewes were turned to the Faith as is mentioned in the Frontispice of the Booke This last we have from Gerhards testimonie for though the Booke is among us yet that I have seen wants the Title and the Epistle or Preface if it had any With his own Writing he hath joyned that which Lyra also writt against the Iews One Paulus Ricius in the Court of the Emperour Maximilian of a Iew converted to Christianitie writ many things against his old misbelief Antonius Margarita converted in heart and Baptized converts his Hand and Pen against the Iews Ernestus Ferdinandus of a Iew became a Beleevet in Christ writes a Flagellum Iudaeorum A Whipp for the Iewes There is Christianus Gerson Ioannes Isaac and our excellent Emanuel Tremelius born at Ferraria in Italie that sacrificed his holy knowledge so well to the Translation of the Bible and one Paulus Weidnerus hath by Writings called upon his Backsliding Brethren the Iews having found Iesus himselfe to bid them come and see besides there are Christians that never were Iews that have sufficiently discovered and refuted the vanitieâ— of this Apostate Seed of Israel who have iâ— their Writings upon and against their Books at large proved the truth of the Gospell and Christian verities as Porchetus de Salvaticis in his incomparable Writings de victoria contra Hebraeos out of whom Galatinus and others seem to have borrowed the most they have as also Rajmundus Martinus who writ Pugionem a Book so named against the Hebrews Such a path hath Munster walked in in his Annotations on the Hebrew Gospell of Matthew Buxtorfius the father and sonne to whose Iewish Synagogue is added a Treatise of Ludovious Carretus a converted Jew whose calling to Christ was begun and occasioned by a Vision which gives his Book the name of Visorum Divinorum Our Rabbi Samuel of Marocco is not altogether to be neglected who hath brought better stuffe than Yarn or Badgers Skins towards the Furniture of the Christian Tabernacle Such an one doubtlesse there was though in the naming of the Rabbins and those of that name Samuel we cannot finde him mentioned though many Samuels be found as Rabbi Samuel Alkali Arcuvolto Aben Tybbon Vzeda Iom Toff c. however and upon what envious grounds soever the Jews conceale his name and a long â—ime kept hid his Writing yet our Christian Writers make mention of him as doth Gesâ—er Gerhard Glassius and Alsted who ranks him among Christian Divines about the year 1090. The Book was first Writ in Arabick as an Epistle of Samuel to Rabbi Isaac intreating him to answer his much troubled heart about his fear that the Jews are accursed for Crucifying Christ and that he and no other is to be expected for the Messias It was Translated out of Arabicke into Latine by one Alphonsus Boni hominis a Spanyard and Friar Predicant out of which Latine our English Translation is derived Three Copies have I seen of it one a very old one as I remember Printed at Paris in which there are but 25 Chapters the Book being lesse by two Chapters than the other Editions which have 27 Chapters In that ancient one there is an Epistle of Alphonsus to Friar Hugo Master of the Order of the Preaching Friars which we shall give Translated after this Preface The other two Copies came out at Basil both put forth by Henric. Petri one of them is the Book called Micropresbeuticon a collection of the Witings of above 30 ancient Fathers and Christian Doctors some Greek some Latine all little or short Works among which R. Samuel is one this came forth Anno 1550. Another Book that hath of ancient little Fathers more than the other came out at Basil some five years after 1555. has this Samuel joyned with them also the old Translation calls him Samuel the Israelite born at Fer a Citie of the King of Marocco and R. Isaac to whom he writes it is said to be Master of the Synagogue that is in Subinlincia in the same Kingdome the Copie in Micropresbeuticon calls it Subiulmenta now in the Kingdome of Marocco we can finde no such City as Fer there may be mistake it may bee it should be Fez which is the principall City of all Barbarie the Metropolis of Mauritania and has the Kingdome of Fez belonging to it and named from it There may be some mistake also for Fez and Marocco are two distinct Kingdoms and are both in Numidia All the places almost that the Turk hath conquered have either lost their names or changed their names as Damascus is now called Sham Constantinople Stambolda Sychar Napolis Ierusalem is called Cuts or Kuds Beersheba is now named Beer Engannim Jenine Argier by the Turks is called Jezaier and Hyppo in Africa where Austin lived is at this day called Cape Bonne that which was heretofore Hierapolis is now Aleppo nay very rivers have changed their names for Tygris is now called Tygil and Euphrates Frat and the Countrey Babylonia goes under the name of Caldar wherefore it is no marvell if in these dayes we cannot finde the old names of places seeing either the places are quite destroyed or their names are changed For Subinlincia or Subjulmenta wee finde no such names in the most exact describer of those Kingdomes Iohn Leo the African yet we finde there is a river called Subu that runs but six miles from Fez there is a Castle called Subeica with a Town and another called Subeita whether it be Printers mistake or some Cities and Towns may be destroyed and their names lost in ashes that then were known by these names or how it is we cannot divine we therefore leave this Geographicall scruple seeing the most exact Africanus doth not help us in it nor Ptolomie in his Tables of Africa It is well known there are and since Jewish dispersions there have ben great store of them among the Moors in Africa there is an exceeding great number in the Citie of Fez the most of their Goldsmiths are Jewes there and in the whole Countrey the number is very great When Ferdinand drove the Jews out of Spaine a world of them came into Africa being born Moors though by religion Jews We trouble not our selves to finde out who this R. Isaac was seeing he is not set out with any word of distinction from other Isaacs of
why they used not Altars and Incense because they were strangers and under the Government of Kingdomes and States that would not suffer them to have that libertie But this he answers to that it is no good reason for Kings and States that suffer them to have Synagogues and meetings and communion in a Jewish manner would permit them this also as well as the former they who grant a greater thing in all likelihood will not deny them a lesser matter So that the conclusion he would make is this God in his anger hath bereft us of King Priest Temple Altars Sacrifice the great things of our Law therefore he would have us leave all other our Iewish Rites also because it is manifest for our sinnes he would have us deprived of all and besides turn us to Christ who hath put an end to all Iudaicall observances Many of the Jews acknowledge that Sacrifices and Ceremonies were not to be perpetuall but to continue for a time onely and by the Messias to be abrogated In their Talmud they have this to that purpose In the world to come all sacrifices shall be annihilated except the sacrifice of Confession i. e. of praise So the Aegyptian Moses writes that in the time of the Messias all things shall be licensed which were prohibited According to that saying The Lord looseth them that are bound up and there cannot be a greater proof than this that even mulier menstruata shall be licensed by God at that time In the Talmud speaking of unclean things as the Sow it is questioned Why is a Sow called Hazer It is answered Because God will return it once to Israel that is give them libertie to eat of it Hazire signifying reversion or returning Wherefore by the judgement of divers of their Doctors they doe at this day unlawfully in counting any meats unclean by the old Rule of their Law seeing the Messias was beleeved should set these very Creatures at libertie that they should not be bound up from free use by any Bond of Ceremoniall uncleannesse as they were heretofore When the Vail of the Temple was rent all Legall Ceremonies were to be rent also The Jews acknowledge they have nothing to do now with Sacrifices as their Ancestors had because they are scattered from their own land and their Temple is destroyed which was the place destined for Sacrifices to be offered up to God yet instead of Sacrifices they will do something they redeem their Sacrifices with words and comfort themselves with this as if God did accept it as well as any Sacrifice that they read over Gods precepts in the Law about the kindes and manner of Sacrificing and so they make use of or rather abuse those words of the Prophet We will offer up to God the calves of our lips Which were a good Sacrifice if they were good lips confessing Christ and guided by holy hearts onely relying and trusting in the all-meriting Sacrifice of Christs blood Their R. Simeon saith they despised three things and cast them off in that speech We have no part in David nor have we inheritance in the sonne of Iesse 1. The Kingdome of Heaven 2. The house of David 3. The Temple of the Lord. But the later Jews have cast off these three things farre more despitefully in casting off Christ And having thrown off God and his Temple why may he not throw away them and their sacrifices The conclusion is against the Jews that they do against ground and reason retain some part of their Jewish service and let other parts be lost as that of Altars oyntment and sacrifice If one be good all is good because all is of the same root If God have abolished some he would have them abolish all and he grants the Jews are non-plust and have nothing to say in this argument when it is urged by the Christians CHAP. III. IN this Chapter the Translator tells us he findes much diversity in the Phrases of the Scripture as they are in the Originall Hebrew and as he findes them quoted by his Rabbi Samuel who being among the Turks follows the Arabicke Bible and therefore he would have the Reader note that he quotes the Scriptures according to R. Samuels Book that he may prove himself a faithfull interpretour It is a pretie note of R. Samuel that the first Captivitie is called but a Transmigration or a passing over into another Land which seems to be a word of hope that promised them they should come back again But this last is named by a hopelesse name a desolation to let them see it is a perpetuall Captivity That of transmigration or removing may bee seene 2 King 17. 23. 2 King 24. 3. But this is a desolation Dan. 9. 27. and the abomination of desolation A twofold misery he findes to pursue this Captivitie more than the other 1. In the other they had Prophets in Babylon to comfort them Ezekiel Haggai Zacharie but in this Captivity no true Prophets preach deliverance Prophecie and Vision ceaseth 2. Again in that other Captivity they were all together in one Kingdome and company of known friends Countrey-men breaks the strong waves of an evill but here they are dispersed into all Countries and can converse with few of their own but meer strangers both by Countrey and Religion And this is a sad thing that they sit solitary like a Sparrow upon the house top This the Lord threatned to make their Chaine heavy The Lord shall scatter thee among all the people from one end of the earth even to the other c. This Samuel acknowledges and calls Daniel a Prophet of God which divers of the great and learned Jews will not admit yet he all over honours him and quotes his Prophecie in this matter of the Messia It seems this man had rather cleave to Christ who calls him a prophet Matth. 24. 15. then to his great Talmudists and Rabbies who will needs be great by lessening some of Gods greatest Prophets Porchetus a great and deep inquirer into Hebrew Learning proves by Jewish Tradition that Daniel was held by them a Prophet and be further faith that among the Jews none could be found so strangely foolish to deny the Spirit of Prophesie to Daniel but onely one wicked Sadduce called Porphyrius who being convict with the clearnesse of his Prophecie concerning Christ he falls like a bitter Dogge a barking against the truth and sanctitie of Daniels Propheticall testimony Of this Porphyrie Hierome speaks in his Epistle proaemiall to the Comment on Daniel to Pammachius and Marcella where he saith this Porphyrie writt his twelfth Book against Daniel whom Eusehius confuted in three Volumes But besides Porphyrie Porchetus might have seen some more denying Daniel properly to be called a Prophet of God as the great Moses Ben Maimon who saith our Nation with an unanimous consent hath placed the book of Daniel in Kethubhim among the holy Writers but not among
three Angels as Lilith taught them The Chaldee Paraphrast spares not to spread this in Cantic 8. 3. bringing in the Israelitish Synagogue thus speaking I am chosen above all people because I binde Thephiliâ—s to my head and my left hand and a paper is affixed to the right side of my door the third part of which looks towards my bed-chamber that Devils and evill spirits may have no power to hurt me Is not this a Magicall paraphrase of that Theologicall Text His left hand should be under my head and his right hand should imbrace me The same Targum on Cantic 4. 6. calls it artem justorum Patrum The art of the righteous Fathers and Patriarcks No marvell if the Jews love Magique when they make Abraham as well a father of Magicians and skilled in it as the father of the faithfull As for Salomon they will prove in his booke of Confessions that he confesses his use of Magique I gave my heart to know wisdome and madnesse and folly Eccles 1. 17. Their chiefe Senate the Sanhedrin among other excellent parts they say must be Artists in this unlawfull Art The originall of that conceit to spring from weaknesse in the Jewes imagination of this required skill in their Judges may be seen in Cunaeus Hitherto we have had witnesse sufficient of their sinnes and wickednesse and truly their miserie follows their sinnes hot foot Such things as these have made Kingdoms cast them out and throw them forth like poysons and sometimes murder them like beasts Such vertues as these have made it a much canvased question in politickes whether the Jews and Iewish Sanagogues are to be suffered in Christian Commonwealths and there are many reasons urged by some why they should not be endured There is a proverb used to this purpose Happy is that Commonwealth in which there is neither an Abraham a Nimrod nor a Naaman that is Which is neither troubled with a Iew nor a Tyrant nor a Leper The Iesuite resolves the case but such kinde of resolving dissolves the conscience A Prince say some may suffer Iews to exercise Vsury if it be expedient for the Commonwealth and compell the people to pay them and keep touch with them which opinion saith hee doth not displease me Mark what a cleanly and Iesuit-like reason he gives for saith he it is lawfull to permit or tolerate lesser evills to avoid greater as is apparent in whoredome O the Divinitie of Rome as Whores are suffered to prevent a greater evill so are Iews to be suffered There are some reasons why they should be suffered behaving themselves quietly and honestly not oppressing Christians not cursing them not seducing them not speaking evill of the Gospell without punishment not hindring Iews from turning Christians not marrying with Christians not having any Offices or places of honour and justice not refusing to be subject to Magistracy distinguished from Christians by dwelling place and otherwayes thus somewhere it is fit they should be suffered think the Civilians For what ever they be though a people that seem to be the Saltest Pillar of Gods wrath to all the world yet we may look on them as a Book of our Saviours Passion and when we see a bloodie Iew remember our bleeding Iesus They may be to us the Looking-glasse of Divine vengeance and better than a Crucifix They are to be pitied by men because there is a promise of mercy from God there must be a blessed revocation and an happy re-union of Jews and Gentiles We should not utterly cast off whom God has not utterly cast off Hath God cast away his people God forbid No hee hath a remnant according to the election of grace How lavish heaven and earth hath been of their blood I could at large relate and shew their blood streaming upon the earth all over the knowne world divers times After Christs Ascension especially their first fluxes of Blood were the fearfullest that ever was heard of Zonaras will tell us large numbers of slaine in Jewish warres to puzzle pretty Arithmeticians to cast up in figures But we have Lipsius exactly and shortly telling us the number in every place so many thousands slain in civill warrs in seven years so many in open war with Romans part of them famisht part drowned neck-broken self-murdered slaine with the sword in all twelve hundred thousand besides ninetie and seven thousand that were taken prisoners by the Romans As they bought Christ for thirty pence so thirty of them were sold so dogg cheape as one penny was the price of so many heads when they fell into the hands of the Romans Gods justice measuring out agreeable to their sin iâ— a Divine proportion that they might reade the vengeance in a proportionable punishment See but how many thousands were slain by Emperors Adrian and Trajan they banishâ— Jerusalem commanded not so much as to look back to it it was not lawfull for them Nâ— quidem specula paternum solum cernere Let all the world take notice of what happened to them under the Emperour Iulian the Apostate This sonn of Perdition to make the words of Christ a lie concerning the Temple at Jerusalem that one stone should not bee left upon another did give the Jewes leave to goe and build up the Temple again They give notice of it to all their Countreymen all over the world they flock to Jerusalem from all parts every one is free to give much wealth to this Worke Iulian himselfe was liberall to them that he might do something to oppose Christ and vexe the Christians So earnest were they on this work that every one would doe something almost an infinite multitude of men digged and wrought all the day it so pleased them that they had made Spades Baskets Troughs Shovels and such like Instruments all of silver and made great provision of all materialls But see the event a terrible Earthquake rends the earth and tears up the very old low-laid Foundation of the Temple a grievous whirlwinde scatters all their Lime Chalk and materials Lightning flames from Heaven burnt up their Instruments yea many men perished others were much hurt by the Fire Christ fighting from heaven against these foolish Builders There were on the night time the figures of the Crosse formed in their garments which spying in the day-light as they knew not how they came there so by no no means knew they how to get them out for they washed and rubbed yet nothing would take out these Crosses At length the Lord following them with wrath and thus accursing their Work they gave over and many were forced to confesse that this was that God who was nailed to the Crosse by their forefathers After Iulian some of the Emperours drove away the Jews from Ierusalem would not let them so much as abide there or enter the Citie so that under Theodosius and Valentinian their custome
Christ keepe you many yeers in our Order in his grace and love Written at Paris by the hand of your humble servant Fryar Alphonsus The Preface of Rabbi Samuel to his Book of the comming of the MESSIAS as already past Samuel the Christian to Isaac the Israelite health THe Lord preserve thee O Brother and keep thee alive till this our captivitie come to an end our dispersion be gathered together and our hopes draw near and God set the Seale of his good pleasure upon our life Amen I know and that upon experience that the fulnesse of the knowledge of our time is in thee and thou art the hope of our satisfaction in the clearing of the doubts about the Law and Prophets by thy glorious expositions Wherefore I much desiring to be made partaker of thy Doctrine do now open unto thee the very secrets of my heart in those things I finde in the Law and the Prophets about which my soul lies under great anxietie and fear Hence it is I make my recourse to they abundant knowledge and wisdome and send to thee this little Book hoping through the will of God to be confirmed in the truth by thee and to have my judgement cleared in the things are doubtfull The Argument of every Chapter in the Book Chapter I. 1. WHy the Jews are under the wrath of God Chap. II. 2. He proves they are dispersed for some grievous sinn in which they are and argues against observation of their Law Chap. III. 3. All the Jews observance of the Law is unacceptable to God for the sin in which they are Chap. IV. 4. He shewes they are in blindnesse Chap. V. 5. The Jews deceive themselves and others Chap. VI. 6. What the sin is for which the Jews are in Captivity Chap. VII 7. That the Just JESVS the God of the Christians was unjustly sold Chap. VIII 8. How the dispersion of the Jews according to Daniel came to passe after the death of JESVS Chap. IX 9. That there are two advents or commings of CHRIST Chap. X. 10. Of the first comming of CHRIST Chap. XI 11. Of the second comming of CHRIST that he will then judge with power Chap. XII 12. Of the Ascension of CHRIST Chap. XIII 13. He more strongly proves the corporall Ascension of CHRIST Chap. XIV 14. Of the Jews blindnesse who neither understand nor beleeve that CHRIST is come Chap. XV. 15. The Jews blindnesse and incredulitie about CHRIST was foretold by the Prophets Chap. XVI 16. He shews the Jews reprobation for perfidiousnesse and the Gentiles election by faith Chap. XVII 17. Of the quickning and giving life to the Gentiles and slaying of the Jews Chap. XVIII 18. How the Gentiles quickned by faith have pure observances in their New law Chap. XIX 19. Of the choosing of the Apostles in place of the Prophets Chap. XX. 20. Of the casting off the Sacrifice of the Jews and choosing the Sacrament of the Christians Chap. XXI 21. God hath refused the Fasts Sabbaths and Sacrifices of the Jews and chosen them of the Christians Chap. XXII 22. He proves the abjection of the Synagogue and the election of the Church by the Lords word to Rebecca Chap. XXIII 23. He proveth the same thing by the Word of the Lord to the Prophet Malachie Chap. XXIV 24. He sheweth the Christians manner of singing is acceptable to God Chap. XXV 25. The Jews unjustly finde fault with the Christians practise of singing Chap. XXVI 26. He proves the Apostasie of the Jews from God Chap. XXVII 27. Testimonies of the Saraceus concerning JESVS and Mary his Mother A Table of the Digressions in the Annotations to every Chapter wherein divers things of consequence are insisted upon Historicall and Theologicall Chap. 1 1. A Digression about the inquiry of that great and particular sin of the Jews for which they have been and are in this long captivitie 2. A second Digression handles the Titles and Elogies of Christian and Iewish Doctors 3. The studying of Rabbins and Jewish learning is asserted and vindicated as needfull and profitable for Divines Chap. 2 4. Of Iews Sacrifices and Services Legall not intended to be perpetuall but to be abrogated Chap. 3 5. That Daniel was not onely an Hagiographer but a compleat and true Prophet Chap. 7 6. Of the 53. Chapter of Esay fitting none but CHRIST confessed by Iews themselves 7. The Epithite Iust and righteous One ordinarily given to JESUS CHRIST Chap. 10 8. Mis-interpretation of Zach. 14. Malac. 3. corrected Chap. 12 9. The Application of Psalm 24. corrected 10. The 63 of Esay vindicated at large 〈◊〉 the mis-application of it and the vulgar mistakes of our common Divines 11. Of the Iews care to preserve the Writings of the Old Testament from losing or corrupting Chap. 13 12. A discovery of what is meant by the Prophet Aser that it is not 〈…〉 but 〈◊〉 13 Reasons for that Scripture A woman shall compasse a man Jerem. 31. to be understood of something else than CHRISTS Incarnation Chap. 16 14. Of the Iews proud and horrible contempt of Gentiles and Christians Chap. 20 15. Of the Sacramentall Crama or mixture of Wine and Water Chap. 23 16. Iewish blasphemies and foul speeches against CHRIST Gospell Christians Chap. 26 17. A large Historicall digression reckoning up the chief fals Christs the Iews have since CHRISTS time been deluded with 18. A large discovery of Iewish follies about the time of CHRISTS comming when it should be and whether he be yet come or no and what kinde of one their Messias should be Chap. 27 19. The strange stubbornnesse and cursed obstinacy of the Iews is discoursed on and laid out 20. A censure on the Alcaron the Mahometans Gospell 21. The Creed of this converted Iew made out of the Chapters of this 〈◊〉 or demonstration of the Messias A DEMONSTRATION OF The true Messias CHAP. I. Why the Iews are under the wrath of God I Desire O Master my conscience may receive some satisfaction by thee out of the Testimonies of the Law the Prophets and other Scriptures about this point namely How it comes to passe that we Jews our whole Nation have a generall great stroke of God upon us in this Captivity which now holds us and which we may well call Gods perpetuall wrath because it findes no end The Wheel of time hath now spun a thousand years and more compleatly since that Titus first led us Captives We are not ignorant that our Fathers worshipt Idols and slew the Prophets and cast away the Law of God yet for all these transgressions the smart of Gods smiting hand did vexe them but with a seventy years Captivity in Babylon and when that set term of time was runne out he was appeased with them and brought them back into their own Land again And at that time according to the suffrage of the Scripture the anger of God had then the bitterest and strongest Ingredients of his wrath mixt with it above any precedent times reckoned
Lord of Hosts mighty in battell is the Prince of Glory Certain and plain it is O Master that this righteous Lord of Hosts had no battell but in his first comming for in his last comming who shall dare fight with him for when he shall sit on his Seat of judgement and a fire round about him shall flame and burn up his enemies and shall purifie the righteous by fire as it were silver and all this in his last comming then none shall fight against him no place shall there be for any to resist him by battell Of the exaltation of this Righteous One the Prophet Esay speaks Who is that that commeth from Edom with garments dyed red from Bozrah this that is glorious in his apparell And the righteous One thus makes answer I that speak righteousnesse a Defender to salvation mighty to save The Angels then say unto him Why are thy garments red like him that treadeth the Wine-fat He answers them again I have trodden the Winepresse alone and there was not a man with me See here O Master how properly Esay speaks yea I fear the answer of this righteous one much toucheth us and none but us when he saith I have trod them in mine anger and their blood is sprinkled upon my garments and I have stained all my raiment For the day of vengeance is in my heart and the yeer of retribution is come O where have we any hopes in that Righteous One when we see that he complaines of us to the Angels in Heaven and makes knowne to them that he trod the Winepresse alone Whom as it that he trod in his wrath but us who after the Battell in his first comming hath thrown us down and we lie prostrate and trampled under foot now a thousand yeers and still there is a black day of vengeance waits for us in his last comming and a year of retribution is in his heart I would to God O Master when we with murderous hands slew the Prophet Esay wee had laid hands upon this Prophecie also and quite blotted out this fair authoritie out of his Booke that no eye might ever have beheld or read it against us And you may observe that which David cals a Battell The Lord of Hosts mighty in Battell Esay calls a Wineptesse Alas for us O Master we drink that new sweet Wine of which Iacob the Patriarch and Prophet speaks in the Book of the Generation of the Creatures that is Children of Judah He washed his cloathes in the blood of the Grape as it is falne out in us at the first comming of the Messiah that is We washed our garments in his Blood But what shall we wretches do in his last comming when all men shall stand before this man comming to judgement and a furious fire shall be ready to devour them round about him against whom he shall pronounce sentence Then is the time of Battell ceast he shall be no more then trod in the Winepresse then shall there be neither place nor time for repentance all refuge shall then fail onely Justice shall remain that as he was unjustly judged when they found no sinn in him so he shall justly judge all sinners For God saith in the Prophesie of Salomon If the righteous receive judgement where shall be the wicked and the sinner If the righteous scarcely be saved what shall then become of the ungodly CHAP. XIII He more strongly proves the corporall Ascension of Christ FEar as a Furie haunts me O Master and possesses me with this that those Testimonies recited by me out of the Prophets are all as points drawn from the Circumference and meeting all in that Just One as their Center viz. That he was sold for silver as the Prophet Amos avouches That he trod the Winepresse as Esay averrs That he was in battell with our Fathers as David affirms That he was caught as in a Net by our sins as Jeremie alledges That he was wounded in his hands as Zacharie asserts That upon his Vesture they cast Lotts as David assents That he ascended into Heaven as the same Prophet and others with an unanimous testimonie give up Which is not compatible nor can it stand with meer God considered in his Divine Essence and nature for the Deitie has neither Resurrection Exaltation Descension or Session properly Out of what hath been said this must issue with a necessary consequence That this Righteous one is already come to whom all the foresaid things very aptly agree and are fitly accommodated to his corporeall and humane nature which he assumed Now because O Master I know how hardly this enters into thy beliefe as a most improbable paradox that a man should bodily ascend into Heaven ponder these authorities and examples which we meet with in Scripture which underprop and confirm this truth In the first place I rank the Prophet David who saith God hath ascended on high he hath led captivitie captive and given gifts to men Again he speaketh of his Ascension Sing unto God and glorifie his name make way for him that ascendeth from the Western parts the Lord is his name Again David speaks of him in that Psalm which thou hast in thine heart Sing praises to God that ascends above the heaven of heavens to the East After him the Prophet Amos in like manner saith It is the Lord that hath built his Seat on high Of him again the Prophet David God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet Likewise the Prophet Aser in his second Chapter saith I saw a man descending from the midst or heart of the Sea and he came up to heaven But because we want that Prophecie I omit to write many other things which that Prophet hath concerning this And yet wee have that Prophet but he knew not then that he who is Aggaeus in Latine is the same with Aser in the Arabick tongue Moses in his Song saith I lift up my hand to Heaven So Esay Awake or Arise arise O Arm of the Lord. Hannah the Mother of Samuel sings The Lord shall give strength unto his King and exalt the Horn of his Anointed David again The Lord ascended upon the wings of the winde These authorities have I met with in Scripture serving to prove the corporeall Ascension of Christ into heaven Many more there are to this purpose as thou O Master very well knowest Now will I annex some examples out of our Law to follow these Authorities being a thing so convenient for the establishing our belief in the point of Christs bodily ascent into Heaven This in the first place must be taken into consideration that the true and glorious God hath assumed and translated to himself out of the earth many holy men among our forefathers as the Law and Prophets will witnesse and if we doubt not of the ascent of these induced to beleeve it for the sanctitie of the men
out Apostasie is it that God stretches out our miserie to such a length of dayes and hath brought upon us this Captivitie whiles wee in vaine expect another Saviour besides that Just One which nothing avails nor is any thing to the purpose Herein we have a signe with plenary evidence that this generall captivity is laid upon us for some generall sinne which all of us have had our hands in which sinne while it abides and sticks with us unrepented of fierce wrath must needs abide upon our Nation and we remain hopelesse Yet we look for some other Saviour But oh the idlenesse and inanitie of our expectations how little do they profit us Suppose we go about to affirm that ours is not a generall Captivitie and that in some part of the world we have a King and Prince over us we shall quickly be proved worthy to be reproved for lyars convict by our owne Law for if we Jewes should have a King and Prince over us in any part of the world go to then let us see what he is he must be descended of some one Tribe if of any it should be of the Tribe of Judah Of Judahs Tribe it cannot be God having definitively determined against it that there should be no King of Judah out of that Tribe for ever Whence Jeremie the Prophet saith The sinne of Judah is writ with a Penne of Iron and the Point of a Diamond it is graven upon the Table of their heart That which is written with such a Pen as Iron in such a Book as an Adamantine stone how can we look that it should ever be expunged It shall never bee blotted out seeing the strong and glorious God hath thus spoken by the mouth of the Prophet Esay The Lord the Lord of Hosts taketh away from Jerusalem and Judah the Judge and the Prophet and the Prince Likewise the Prophet Hosea saith of us The Children of Israel shall abide without a King without a Prince without a sacrifice without an Image without an Ephod without Teraphim We know well O Master that from the beginning of the world God had alwayes some Saints of great account and holy before him Towards the beginning of the world the lives of men are reckoned up with many figures and extended to many yeers as Mâ—thusalem Enoch and the rest yet none of these ever came to be Millenaries either reaching to or above a thousand years Yet we have large reckoning amongst our selves finding our Messias or Christ promised to us to out-strip that unattained number We please our selves with saying that our Messias was born in Babylon in the seventie yeers Captivitie which by computation will arise to an higher number of years for by this at this day he must be a thousand and fiftie yeares old This Fable and Fallacie for it is no Prophecie though we know not how with any weapons of reason to defend yet with bold assertions we averre it for a truth in our Synagogues when we are none but Jews together and not a stranger among us But you may hear the publique doctrine of the Christians saying otherwise Of Zion it shall be said this and that Man was born in her and the most High shall establish her In these words he names Mary the Ladie under the name of the Citie and saith a man was born in her He saith that man emphatically was born in her he doth not say this or that Israelite Whereby he gives light to us to understand that the Son of Marie never was in the Loyns of any man In the second Book of Samuel and the seventh Chapter God manifestly declares this when he saith to David When thy dayes be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy Fathers I will set up thy Seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy Bowels and I will be his Father and he shall be my Sonne It was never among possibilities O Master that â—ny should come out of the Bowels of his Father therefore to this end is it here set down â—o expresly to shew that Christ was not to â—e conceived in woman after the ordinary â—ay of other men by any Seed which should â—roceed from the Loyns of man as the rest â—f men do descending from David or others â—o the same effect God speaks by David â—rom the Womb before the morning have I beâ—otten thee As if the great and glorious God â—â—ould say From the wombe that is of his â—wn will he begot his Christ the operation â—f the Holy Ghost effecting it without the â—eed of man not after the common regular â—urse of humane generations This is that doctrine of veritie of the Christians faith â—hich is hid as a mysterie from us and our â—ow apprehensions will not give it entrance â—â—d beliefe For our infidelitie in this point 〈◊〉 all this falne on us that we groan under â—his is the gate that lets in our miserie Afâ—â—r the same manner doth David set forth Christ to be borne The Lord hath sworne in â—uth unto David Of the fruit of thy Body will â—set upon thy Throne Notwithstanding all â—is we belong to God CHAP. XXVII He concludes with alledging some sayings of the Saracens touching Iesus and Marie his Mother VErily O Master though the Christian do not fight against us with swords taken out of the Saracens Scaberds and whaâ— the Alcoran and the expositions thereof havâ— for their defence which they neglect to doe knowing our faith feeds not upon Saracen Chaffe neither do they themselves give any credit to it yet they might finde something which might much weary and weaken us anâ— fortifie themselves by the allegation of the Sarazens Doctrine concerning Jesus and Marâ—â— his blessed Mother It is the generall voice 〈◊〉 all the Saracens that Jesus was the Messiaâ— whom the foregoing Prophet foretold should come and as touching his Genealogie and 〈◊〉 degree they preferre him before their own God Mahomet They stick not to confesseâ— that the Parents of Mahomet were Idolaters anâ— wicked ones and at the best blazon theâ— Arms but among the Children of Hagar thâ—â— Bond-maid from whom they sprung Yet willingly they grant that the Messias by a direâ—â— Line draws his Pedegree from Isaac whoâ—â— Sonne he was to the Prophets and just men and so he descends to the blessed Marie his Virgin mother In the Alcoran this testimonie of the Family of Adamar is found touching Marie The Angel Gabriel said to Marie O Marie God hath chosen thee and taught thee grace and hath in his choice preferred thee before all other women of all ages and hath placed thee as a new medium or meane dividing betwixt earthly men and the Angels of God in the Paradise of delights Moreover all the Saracens speak-it for a truth That Christ or the Messias had power from God to work Miracles to heale every disease and infirmitie to cast out Devils raise the dead to know the secrets of all hearts yea they
the Prophets And the same account and reckoning they make of Davids Psalms Salomons Books Esther Iob and the Books of Chronicles They say these were writt as they were moved by the holy Spirit but it was not vera pura Prophetia But who will may see against this Daniel proved to be a Prophet of God out of Moses Ben Maimons own Characters of a Prophet by Constantine L' Emperour Against this opinion which makes Daniel a Prophet but metaphorically or by way of Translation Guil. Vorstius may be lookt after also in his Annotations on Maimonides de fundam Legis ad cap. 7. Cunaeus de Repub. Hebr lib. 3. cap. 7. CHAP. IV. HE rightly speaks of the blindnesse of the Jews so their estate in the new Testament is called For judgment am I come into this world saith our Saviour that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see c. Blindnesse in part is hapned unto Israel untill c. That which is here said that it is perpetuall Paul saith better for them then R. Samuel It shall not be alwayes but till the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in and then all Israel shall be saved CHAP. VI. IN this Chapter he is very earnest to apply that prophecie of Amos the selling of the Righteous for Silver to be Israels sinne in selling Jesus the Righteous Sonne of God for thirty pieces of Silver Our Christian interpretors and Expositors do not go that way to apply it onely to Christ but make it to be the sin of injustice cruell oppression against the poor and needy selling away their person and Cause for Bribes Some have a glance at this Jewish exposition yet cannot fully like it though this Jew found the Christians in his dayes much bent to expound it as he does and let him be wittie this way to apply all to the Jews sinne if so be it may heal their sore CHAP. VII THe seventh Chapter arises out of his former discourse and he layes it downe that the Prophet Amos his Just man sold for silver is Jesus the Just the Saviour of the Christians he beleeves it is meant of no other This indeed is true 1. That Jesus the Just was sold for silver 2. That this was the Jews sinne 3. That this sinne of selling and murdering Jesus is the Gate that lets in all their miserie Onely here the Jew in a fourth thing has us not so fully agreeing that the Prophet Amos doth directly and especially point at this sin in this place Here the Jew is more against his own Jews than the Christians are and it shews his pious intention to finde out the grievousnesse of their sinne that takes up any Scripture that may seem to indigitate it to bring his people to repentance In this Chapter he admirably and with a Beam of Christian light applies the 53 of Esay to Jesus Christ as a Christian Expositor opens divers things in it As likewise that excellent and Torchlike place of Zacharie which gives clear light in this truth undenyably looking at Christ For other Scriptures look at his good meaning and pardon his Application That 53. of Esay exceedingly straitens the learned Jews and puzzles them in their Expositions to make it fit for some other rather than Christ Jesus but divers of them are enforced to apply it to Christ Of the Application of the 53 of Esay to Christ the Messias Hieronymus de sancta fide a converted Iew gives us his sure word that divers of their Rabbins go that way as R. Osua in Sanhedrin and R. Jose Galiaeus in a Book called Zifrat Lord Morney brings in others of their Doctors fitting this Chapter to him as R. Vla veniat sed absit ut videam Let him come but farre be it from me that I should see him meaning his wounds and sufferings will be so grievous as men will hide their faces from him And upon Ruth on these words Dip thy morsell in the Vinegar their Midrasch or Commentary hath it The morsell is the bread of the King Messias who shall be broken for our sinnes and shall indure great torments as was foreteld by Esay To stop the mouthes of all Iewes R. Simeon the sonne of Johni a chiefe one of them writes as if he were cloathed with the Sunne Wo saith he to the men of Israel for they shall slay the Christ And God shall send unto them his sonne cloathed with mans flesh that he may wash and cleanse them and they shall slay him R. Iohanan pitches truly upon the very time of Iesus Christs exercising his Ministery upon earth agreeable to the Historie Evangelicall of his life Three years and a half saith he the presence of God did crie upon Mount Olivet Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Which is â—ust the common computation of the time of Iesus Christs preaching from his Baptisme to his Passion Here let it be noted once for all that this Doctour doth altogether call Christ the Iust or Righteous One an excellent name agreeing with the Scripture that calls him so proving in him there was no sinne no unrighteousnesse â—o guile and therefore he was fit to be Jehovah Tsidkenu The Lord our Righteousnesse Peter preaching to the Iews concerning Christ saith They denyed the holy One and the Iust and Stephen in his Sermon calls him the Iust One. So Ananias called Christ that Iust One. Among the Iewish Doctours it is ordinary to call Christ by this name by way of excellency The earth saith one of them standeth but upon one Pillar and the Iust One is his Name as it is in the Book of Proverbs Chap. 10. In the end of the Chapter the Iew alledges the agreement of the Gospels relation to the Prophets prediction concerning Christs death wherein like a Christian he flies from the Iews and cloaths himself with the Christians Armour of light beleeving the Gospell which professed Iews hate with an indeleble hatred CHAP. IX X XI IN these Chapters he proves that Christ shall have a double comming First in basenes and humility then secondly in Majesty and glory Sometimes onely he teaches Scripture to speak more then is intended as in that place of Esay because it is said Awake Awake twice he will have it to mean Christs double Comming And that of David For he commeth for he commeth is twice repeated because Christ shall twice appear saith R. Samuel But the truth is clearer then that he need these witty though sometimes weak allegations That Christs second comming shall be to judgement and with Fire and glorious Majestie he rightly and Orthodoxly holds and proves It is a rare Testimony to the credit of our Christian Baptism that he
from corruption and losse even in corrupting and losing times and are as woodden Candlesticks to the Gentiles holding out the light of the Law He quotes the 49 Chapter of Genesis which he calls the Booke of the Generation of the Creatures of Iudah that is Of the Children and Off-spring of Iudah Well may I here take occasion to give a reason why men onely sometimes are called the Creation and the Creatures and whence it arises To which purpose our understandings may well and soundly take hold on this that the word which signifies creatures properly in common use among the Hebrews signifies onely men sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being the excellentest of subsolar Creatures The same Phrase and manner of speaking is much taken up in the Orientall Languages I shall call in my Witnesse and he may stand for two or three he is of such standing and perfection in the Academie of most exquisite learning it is Hortibonus or Casaubon In the Arabick Geographie saith he in abundance of places we finde the frequencie and fulnesse of Cities thus described the Author saith that in them there are many Creatures that is to say Men. This may well agree with our Samuel who writ in Arabick and this may be a good note affixed to the latter end of the 16 Chapter of Marks Gospell to the illustration of it Go into the whole World and preach the Gospell to every Creature CHAP. XIII THe corporall Ascension of Christ he goes about to prove by those Scriptures that speaks of the exaltation and elevation of God which he saith must properly be meant of Christ according to his humane nature because the meer Deitie is subject to none of these Sites or Postures That of Psalm 68 is applyed to the Ascension of Christ by S. Paul so that R. Samuel the Jew is not ashamed to follow S. Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles in beleeving and asserting the same truth He quotes something out of the Prophet Aser in his second Chapter but he forbears the prosecution of it upon this reason because that Prophesie is lost and is not to be found The Translatour he brings his judgement about the Prophet Aser and reproves the ignorance of R. Samuel that he should think the Prophet Aser to be lost when he is not And his reason is that the Prophet Aser and Haggai are all one onely Haggai is the Hebrew Name and Aser the Arabicke name of the same Prophet which R. Samuel did not know or at least did not call to minde when he writ so Now it were good to unpire the matter betwixt Alphonsus the Spanyard and Samuel the Jew and upon looking into it the Translator will be found in some fault Suppose there be some agreement betwixt Haggai and Aser in their signification Haggai signifying one that solemnizes and keeps a holy and joyfull day of solemnities that rejoyces festivally and Aser comming of a Verbe that signifies to make blessed and happy which may accord in this that the dayes of re-edifying the Temple and Jerusalem in which times Haggai prophecied were holy festivall and blessed dayes Though there be some similitude must there be Identitie How doth Alphonsus know that Aser and Haggai in the Arabick Tongue are the same Prophet This may be disproved two wayes 1. Because R. Samuel writ in Arabick lived among the Arabians and being both a Jewish and an Arabick Doctor he was likely to know as well as Alphonsus the names of Prophets in the Old Testament both in Hebrew and Arabick 2. If Aser and Haggai be all one then let the Spanyard shew us this that he quotes in the Prophecie of Haggai of a man ascending from the midst of the Sea and comming up to Heaven He must coyn a new Prophecie of Haggai if he will finde this in it for our Old Prophet neither in first or second 〈…〉 Chapter has any such thing However we speake of this obscure Prophet Aser which cannot be found what he was yet we may well conclude for the Authour against the Translatour that these words are not to be found in the Prophet Haggai Since these Notes I have found something that is like this which is quoted but neither in R. Samuels obscure Aser nor Alphonsus the Translators Haggai chap. 2. but in the Apocryphals of Esdras Lo there arose a winde out of the sea and lo that man waxed strong with the thousands of heaven Iunius reads it Quidam ut ventus A certain man as the winde came from the sea It should be translated a Man not a winde that did rise out of the Sea so the third Verse intimates that man waxed strong not that winde For rising of the winde is not the thing but the comparison accompanying and illustrating the appearance of the man I think pardoning the errour of the Authors and Translators Quotation both of the Name and the Book and Chapter I am the Oedipus of this Riddle And it may well be his meaning was of this place for in this book he doth besides this make use of the Apocrypha as Chap. 19. he quotes a place out of Jesus the sonne of Syrach and in chap. 20. he has out of the same Book Besides he is subject to some mistakes for in that 20 chapter he cals it Salomons writing when it is the Sonn of Syrachs and in this 13 chapter he quotes a place in Esay when it is in Ieremie Aliquando bonus dormitat Hebraeus calling Esdras Aser Among those were assumed into heaven he names Methusalem and takes it for a thing granted and known among the Jews But we must beleeve Moses who saith that Methusalem when he had lived nine hundred sixty nine years dyed he doth not say he was translated which he had newly said of Enoch his Father The Greeks errour is that he lived 14 years after the floud and was with Noah in the Ark which errour comes out of the Septuagints false computation And some of the Jews it seems are in this errour that because his Father was taken into heaven in his body and soul so was Methusalem too But they that compute and reckon according to the Hebrew numbring of the years do agree that Methusalem dyed that very year the flood came Others think he dyed six years before the floud He concludes the Chapter with asserting the wonderfull birth of Christ born of a Virgin without a man to be a very truth and plainly foretold by the Prophets of God Wherin he grants for a truth one of those six things which are the main Controversies betwixt the Jews and Christians He takes indeed one place to prove the birth of Christ by a Virgin which I dare not say flatly that the Prophet did speak it with any relation to the birth of Christ It is that of Ieremies The Lord shall create a new thing upon the earth a woman shall compasse a man I know the stream of Expositours
time one Iesus a wise man if it be lawfull to call him a man Mark how this Jew inclined to think there was a Deity in Christ and something super humane He proceeds This same Iesus did bring to passe incredible works and he was a Master to men that did receive the truth with much delight and pleasure in it Many Iews and many Greeks did he draw unto him This is he that was called Christ whom when Pilate had caused to be crucified being accused of the chief of our Iewish Nation yet they that loved him at first would never give over loving him and cleaving to him A rare testimony is this of the constancy of Christian Disciples and Followers of Christ I omit that he saith of him that he appeared alive again after three dayes according as the Divine Prophets had foretold these and many other admirable things concerning him Is not Iosephus here turned Christistian too making this to be him the Prophets spoke on CHAP. XX. IN the twentieth Chapter he commends the purity and cleannesse of the Christian Rites and service by Bread and Wine and preferâ—s it before the medling with the flesh and fat of Beasts slaughtered for Sacrifice by Jews He makes Scriptures of the Old Testament plainly before-hand point at the bread and Wine in our Sacrament of the Lords Supper Onely he puts in Water as well as Bread and Wine into that Sacrament and will make good that new practise of mixt Wine by an old proof from Salomons Proverbs where Wisdome propounds mixt Wines and so it was applyed to his hand long before him by S. Cyprian And Cyprian indeed doth speak of mixing Wine with the Water in the Sacrament and in that Epistle Dominica Traditio servetur at which the Papists shout for joy more then Boyes when they have found the black in the Bean as imagining this to be a strong ground for their weak opinion of unwritten Traditions But herein our Romanists run away like Boyes with a wrong errand for though Cyprian commend the mixing of Wine Water as Dominicam Traditionem yet doth he not mean an unwritten Tradition for he goes to prove it from the Scriptures as from that of Water and Blood issuing from our Saviours side on the Crosse And he saith at the Institution our Saviour gave a mixed Cup. You may see Durands and the Papists foolish mysteries in their mixing of water with their Wine In vino sanguis Christi in aqua populus repraesentatur And it is very true the Fathers in former times of old did use Vinum baptizatum or Crama Eucharisticum Wine tempered with Water as some call it because in the places where they lived the Wine was so strong it had need to be well-tempered with water at those times especially when they studyed the most sobriety and temperance in drawing near into fellowship with Christ Now Cyprians intent was not so much to prove that we ought to use Water with our Wine as to disprove the judgement and practise of the Water-Heretiques the Aquarii that did contend onely water was to be used in the Sacrament and so did celebrate These Aquarij were also called Hydroparastatae an ancient Heresie that defended water was onely to be used in the Sacrament The Armonians that said onely Wine without water was to be used were both in ancient times counted Hereticks Moreover beyond all this the Ancients some of them did not onely mixe cold Water but which some not acquainted with antiquity will wonder at they did mixe hot water or boyling water with the Wine And this hot water they thus infused in way of devout significancy to minde the faith of the Receivers that the Blood and water which flowed from Christs Side were not dead and cold Elements but that they were lively and effectuall even hot water and blood issuing from one had yet the heat of life in him CHAP. XXIII HE hath a notable way to follow Allegories and indeed the Genius of those times made many Christians in their writings on Scripture altogether Allegoricall That of Salomon Better is a morsell of Bread with love then a stalled Oxe with hatred is a Pool well fisht when he can catch this Fish in it that it means the Christians bread in the Sacrament is more acceptable to God then the Jews killing a fat Oxe for a Sacrifice This Jew as ouâ— Saviour said of the young man that came to him and answered prudently may well have it said of him Verily he is not farre from the Kingdome of Heaven for here he commends the New Testament and gives an Epithite as high as he can to the Gospel of S. Matthew calling it The glorious Gospell And in it he praises that Statute of patience our Saviour will have observed by his subjects If any man smite thee on the one Cheek turne to him the other also This is better testimony and fairer language then the rabble of the Rabshakeh Jews both cursing and cursed do commonly give who call the Gospell which is Evangelium in scorn Aven Gillaion the Volume of lies or vaâ—ities His perfidious fellow Rabbins will â—ot thank him for writing so to the credit of the Gospell or praising any of the Preâ—epts or Lessons of Christ they can read â—im another Lecture out of a Book among â—hem called Toledoth Iesus wherein they â—each to blaspheme high enough and then they speak as they think well enough of Christ That book is full of blasphemies calling Christ Talui A Gallows Clapper or A hanged Thief Mariam Harriam Mary the blessed mother of Christ they call An â—heap of Dung. In their calling Mary as my Author has it Harriam I know not whether he doe not rather meane Chorim which is obscene and filthy in the sense of it As for Hariah it signifies A woman great with Childe and if they call her so they do it to blot her Virginity as if she were begot with Childe by man and so with mouthes running over with blasphemy and lies they call her Sonah a Whore or unchaste woman the polluted one of the world The Apostles and Martyrs of Christ they call Lenones the Bread in the Sacrament A polluted Body the Church Errour and Preaching Howling They call our Festivall of the Lord Day the day of ruine and destruction the Christians little ones they call Vermine or creeping things They are commanded when they passe by the Churches or Oratories of Christians to say this The Lord destroy these houses of Office Out of the word Jesu they make the number by the Letters of 316. and there they have Curses and blasphemies scarce to be named Oâ— the patience of the just Jesus that endures these wretches Hellish Blasphemies doth not suddenly let the Ocean of his wrath on earth carry them with a strange Wave to the Ocean of everlasting fire in Hell CHAP. XXVI
Esay 11. 3. That is he shall judge by smelling who is innocent and who is guiltie Let us see therefore whether thou beest able to judge by smelling and when they saw his smelling was without this judgement they slew him This will scarce agree with so great a slaughter of Barcozbi and all his people by Adrians Forces But certain it is many Jews were now sacrificed to the Romans furie by their sword that the Lord might thorowly execute his wrath upon them This false Christ they say his reign and rule was some thirty years and a half and some make it foretold in those words of Daniel paraphrasing them thus Now when they shall fall that is the Israelites in the destruction of the Temple under Titus they shall be holpen with a little help in the Kingdom of Bitter which remained to the 52 year after the destruction of the Temple and many Israelites shall joyne with them in Bitter but with flatteries c. Of this Barcozbi all our writers make mention that speak of those times and say he tormented Christians whiles he had power with all kinde of punishments and put many to death if they would not deny and blaspheme Christ He is called by Eusebius Barchochebas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is called by Hierome in his Catalogue of Church Doctors that were Writers of Books in the life of one Agrippa surnamed Castor Chocibus and in that Book made Greek by Sophronius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others call him Cuziba but under all these names is meant this sonn of a lie Barcozbi who named himself the son of a starre if he were it was like the bitter Starr Absynthites or Wormwood that in the Citie Bitter brought such sore destruction upon his Countreymen And yet Rabbi Lipman the most blasphemous of all Jewish Doctors was not ashamed to write that this Bencozbi was one of the lawfull and right Princes of Israel and of the familie of David and his reason is because when he said I am the Messias the Rabbins never asked him Art thou of the Family of David He judges they took it for granted that he was so But this may well beseem the lying lip of Lipman who hath writ a Book called Nitzachon or his book of victory and triumph over the Gospell of Christ in which the blasphemous Spider will needs finde lies falshoods and vain things and poysonous untruths to make Christ and our Religion ridiculous Some learned Christians have answered blasphemous Hebrew aud his Nitzachon as Munster in his Annotations to the Hebrew Gospell of Matthew Postellus follows Munster and we shall shortly see with us the learned Constantine L'Emperour fully confuting this Nitzachon so as to make such blaspheming Jewes leave all their cursed croaking and coaxation and make them as mute as the Seriphian Froggs and give no croaking sounds at all Of Rabbi Akiba they write that his Companions some nine were taken with him when Gozbi perisht and they were put to cruell deaths for Akiba if we durst beleeve them was put to death by an Iron Comb with which his flesh was torn off his body And thus farr we have gone to shew the Tragedy of Bencochab and Jewish dotage In the Reign of Theodosius the second came Moses of Crete to act his part of a false Saviour giving out he was sent from Heaven and was a second Moses he would lead al the Jews that followed him thorow the sea to the Continent dry-shod For a year together he perswaded them in their Cities and Townes to leave all their riches and follow him he would carry them to the promised Land At an appointed day to passe the Sea great multitudes of men women and Children repaire to him whom he brings to an high Promontory hanging over the Sea he bidds them cast themselves down which multitudes did and perisht being dasht in pieces on the Rock or drowned in the Sea Many were saved that were about to cast themselves down by some Christian Merchants and Fishers that disswaded them from so madd and murderous an Act and who helpt to draw many out of the Sea and saved them from drowning The Jews seeing the great Delusion thought to lay hands upon the Impostor but their false Moses as if he had been a true Devill was gone and vanisht they knew not whether nor how This was an occasion to bring many Jews to embrace the Christian faith and to leave the way of Judaism subject to such dangerous and costly deceits Of another false Prophet Moses Mamonides makes mention who arose in the Southern parts and told the people he was the fore-runner of the Messias and that in those parts he should shortly appear and he invited them Come ye with me and let us goe meet the Messias for he hath sent me unto you that I may prepare the way before him After a year he was taken they that did cleave to him fled away and an Arabian King that took him asking him why he did this and he answering I did it by command from God he further demanded What Miracle or wondrous thing canst thou do to confirme this He replyed My Lord the King cut off my head and after that I will rise again and live as I did before The King said Thou canst not do a greater thing then this bring but this to passe and then I and all the world shall beleeve thy sayings are true and good and that our Ancestors have inherited vanity and lies which profited them not His head by the Kings appointment was cut off but he never yet was as good as his word to appear alive again though some Jews are so devoid of judgement as to expect his reviving and look for his appearing There was Rex Thaborius one called the King of Thabor that would needs be a Messias whom Charles the fift caused to be burnt Maimonides reckons up four more obscure false Christs that did arise among the Jews in Spain and France and brought misery upon themselves aud the Jews Among these Impostors was David El-David or David Elroi in the Citie Omadia subject to the King of Persia he had some Power by Praestigiation and Magique whereby he did work great Signes and marvellous things and gathered people to make warre with all Nations Some said this great power of his was from the speciall vertue of God in him and as he called himself so they counted him the Messias as he said to the King of Persia I am the Messias and God hath sent me to deliver the Children of Israel The King cast him in Prison and said If thou canst deliver thy self I shall know thereby whether thou be the Christ or no if thou dost not deliver thy self I will put thee to death because thou art a fool But the Jugler got from Bonds and though the King sent Horsmen and