was above the Power of Nature and prov'd it by Reason and the Authority of several Authors Wherefore we justly ascribe it to the Omnipotent Power of God and conclude that it can't be effected without a Miracle SECT 7. This is a proper place to treat of the Jewish Ceremonies about the Sick As soon as any one is taken ill we immediately send for a Physician in order for his Recovery This we all know is lawfull for God himself uses means in natural Actions and which I will shew by this Example Though God was able to deliver Samuel out of the hands of Saul nevertheless he saith Take an Heifer with thee and say I am come to Sacrifice to the Lord 1 Sam. 16.2 By which means he might conceal his Design of anointing David to be King who when he was anointed industriously endeavour'd to escape the hand of Saul So Gideon made use of Trumpets as natural means Judges 7.16 Elisha also the Prophet when he sent one of the Sons of the Prophets to anoint Jehu King commanded him that he should do it privately in an inner Chamber 2 King 9.2 Now if Physick is good and lawful we may doubtless send for a Physician to cure the Sick There were a great many Eminent Physicians formerly among us as we read in the Talmud of Samuel a skilful Physician and Astrologer who Cur'd R. Jehuda of the Toothach which he had been troubl'd with for several years and we read in another Place that he Cur'd the same Man's Eyes There goes a remarkable Story of R. Ismael and R. Aquiba who travelling near Jerusalem with a Countreyman in their Company met a sick Man whom they presently Cur'd with an infallible Medicine The Country-man seeing this ask'd them who was the Cause of that Man's Sickness They answer'd God Why then says he are you so presumptuous to meddle with another Man's Business God as you confess having made him Sick and will ye pretend to Cure him But they to apply themselves to his Capacity ask'd him what Profession he was of Don't you see says the Countryman by the Instrument that I carry in my hand that I am a Farmer Who then say they made your Land and who is the Cause of the Fertility of your Vineyard God reply'd he Why then say they do you concern your self with another Man's work and ear those Fruits that God has made O! says the Farmer if I do not Plow and Cultivate and weed my Ground I am sure I shall have no Crop Well then say they honest Friend have not you read in the 103 Psal v. 15. That the days of Man are as Grass Now Man is like a Tree the Dung which is laid to it to make it thrive is like the sweet Spices and medicinal Potions and the Husbandman represents the Physician so they pleasantly convinc'd him of his Error From this it appears That the Ancients approv'd and made use of Physick whenever God afflicted any Person with a Disease The Cabbalists are of the same mind for commenting upon that Place of Deut. 32.10 He found him in a desert Land They say a sick Man is like one that God finds in a Desert wherefore a Physician is to be consulted who may cure him by Purges or opening a Vein and then prescribe a regular Diet which may preserve his Health Hither we may referr what several great Rabbi's have said that when a Person has procur'd a Licence from the Magistrate to practise Physick he is obliged to cure the Sick and he may lawfully demand a Fee But after all we must not rely too much upon the Physician and so forget God For we must earnestly and devoutly call upon him in which Aben Ezra agrees with me but he so far dissents from my Opinion that he will not allow of a Physician in internal and secret Distempers but wholly submit to God R. Vidal has admirably confuted him and commended the Use of Physick But here are two things that deserve consideration one respects the Physician and the other the Patient As to the first a Physician ought to be very careful about his Patient's recovery otherwise he may lose his own Soul For upon this Account the Talmudists say that the best Physicians sometimes go to Hell For there are some that pretend to cure a Distemper which they do not understand others do not take notice of the proper time to administer the Physick and there are others that leave all to Chance and care not whether their Patient lives or dies It often happens that a sick Man loses his Life while the Physicians are disputing about the Nature of the Disease And perhaps for this reason Physicians are sometimes call'd Murderers May be Alexander too was of that mind when he commanded Glaucus the Physician to be execured because he did not recover his Friend Hephaestion I speak only of bold ignorant Quacks for the skilful and honest Physicians are call'd in the Scripture Heads That Consideration which should affect the Patient is that he must not too confidently depend upon the Physician or natural Means but chiefly put his trust in God for this Reason is Asa reprehended for placing too much hope in the Physicians For so says the Text 2 Chron. 16.12 In his Disease he sought not to the Lord but to the Physicians The Prophet does not reprove the King because he sent for them but because he expected a Cure only from them and never regarded God Thus the Talmudists among their Praises of the good King Hezekiah reckon this deserves a place because he hid a Book of Physick Some think the Author of it was Solomon others that it was a Book of Magick and therefore hid by Hezekiah because some People in those Times us'd to consult it for 〈◊〉 are of their Diseases and so neglected to implore God's Aid and Assistance For God is the true Physician and he that putteth his Trust in him may expect Ease and Comfort in time of Sickness Thus it is said in Exod. ch 15.26 I will put none of those Diseases upon thee which I have brought upon the Egyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee SECT 8. The Talmudists say there are four things which incline God to alter his Decrees viz. Alms deeds fervent Prayer a Change of the Name and a Change of Works And these are the four means which the Jews make use of in a dangerous Distemper so they commonly secretly relieve those Persons who are in the greatest Exigencies For as Money does as it were give life to a poor Man so they hope that God will grant them their Life when they desire it For this Reason the Jews frequently collect Alms for the Poor that live in the City or for those that live in the Holy Land or for those that are in Prisons and Dungeons or for any other charitable Uses This they believe is meant by those words of Solomon Prov. 10.2 Righteousness delivereth from Death c. 12.28.21.21 And
Inquisition that Rack of Men's Consciences was first introduc'd into Spain in the Reign of Ferdinand the Fifth 1478. by the especial Procurement of Don Pedro Gonsales de Mendoza Cardinal and Archbishop of Sevil occasion'd by the Apostacy of the newly converted Jews and Moors who began to return to their old Superstition Now this in some respect had been practis'd before for in the fourth Council of Toledo A. D. 639. in the Reign of Sysenandus the Apostatizing Jews were compell'd to persevere in the Christian Religion lest the Name of Jesus might be blasphemed and the Faith which they had embraced might by that means become vile and contemptible This was ratified likewise by the eighth Council held at the same Place A. D. 671. when Recesuvindus Reign'd over the Goths After all these Iliads of Afflictions they remain at this Day scatter'd over the Face of the whole Earth and because they continue peaceable by the Connivance of our Laws they are not disturb'd And good reason for if as most learned Men agree they will all be converted to the Christian Religion no place can be more proper to promote this Conversion than a Christian Country But alas there are three Impediments to this especially in Foreign Parts 1. The Scandals of the Papists 2. The want of Means to instruct them And 3. The Punishment or Loss which by their Conversion they incurr As many Papists are converted to Judaism as Jews to Christianity Several of our Countrymen as Doctor Gouge Doctor Jessey c. have by their Conversation and Charity piously endeavour'd to begin this good Work But that which must be most effectual to the Proficiency and Accomplishment of it is by letting them see our good Works and then we may joyfully see them glorifiing not only our Father which is in Heaven but the Son and Holy Ghost too Let us not maliciously imagine that they have a natural unsavory Smell but let us be careful that our Sins do not stink in their Nostrils We ought not to mispend our Time in railing against the Jews but we must mortifie our Sins those more inveterate Murderers of the Lord of Life and Glory Our Sins daily spit upon him and bind him and load him with a Burden much heavier than that of the Cross Let us unanimously endeavour to advance the means of their Conversion as well as pray for it This I am sure was the devout Practice of the Christians in the Primitive Church for Clemens often takes notice of the Prayers that were offer'd up for the Jews in the Easter-Week 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. c. 12.14 Now this Time and this Country may afford us seasonable Opportunities for I am not a little satisfied that the Obstinacy and Stiffness they were once remarkable for are almost worn off One odd Fancy they still entertain which Menasseh Ben-Israel has strongly asserted in his Spes Israelis that is That the Ten Tribes which were lost are now behind the Caspian Mountains from whence they expect their Messias who with Fire and Sword shall subdue the World and restore their Temporal Kingdom The Tribes that now remain are of Judah and Benjamin most part of the former being settl'd in the East the latter in Germany Holland Italy and England He that desires to see the History of the Rites Customs and Manner of Life of the Modern Jews may read Leo Modena a Rabbin of Venice translated by Mr. Chilmead of Christ-Church in Oxon. 1650. I shall conclude with an Exhortation to the Jews besides my Prayers for them taken out of the 95th Psalm Harden not your Hearts as in the Provocation and as in the Day of Temptation in the Wilderness c. The Catalogue of the Works of Menasseh Ben-Israel which he presented to Mr. Paul Felgenhawer in the Year 1655. Hebraicé LIbri 4 de immortalitate animae Pene Rabba super Rabot antiquorum Rabbinorum Latinè Hispanicé Pars prima Conciliatoris Libri tres de Resurrectione Mortuorum Problemata de Creatione De Termino Vitae De fragilitate humana Spes Israelis Grammatica Hebraea cum novis observationibus Oratio gratulatoria ad Celsissimum Principem Auriacum Oratio panegyrica ad sereniss Reginam Sueciae Hispanicé Conciliatoris omnes partes Pentateuchus cum Margin notis Libri 5 de ritibus Ceremoniis Judaeorum Duobus Tomis Biblia Hispanica cum Commentariis De statua Nebuchadonosoris 12o. Libellus Anglicus De fidelitate utilitate Judaicae Gentis Sequuntu◠Libri parati ad Editionem De cultu Imaginum ipsiusmet Dei contra Pontificios Latiné 450 Conciones in Linguâ Lusitanicâ Loci communes omnium Midrasini sive Sententiae antiquorum Rabbinorum Hebraicé Bibliotheca Rabbinorum cum argumentis lib. quibus adduntur diversae impressiones ubi quando editae cum judicio meo de quolibet Phocilides ex Graeco in versum Hispanicum redditus Libri adhuc sub manibus versantes nondum perfecti Hist Judaica vel continuatio Hist F. Josephi ad haec usque tempora De divinitate legis Mosaicae De scientia Talmudistarum in omnibus facultatibus Hebraicé Nomenclator Heb Arab. De disciplinis Rabbin Philosophia Rabbinica Menasseh Ben-Israel OF THE Term of Life BOOK I. SECT 1. SOLOMON plainly declares that there is a certain Term or Time of Man's life appointed afore-hand Eccles 3.1 2. To every thing there is a Season and a Time to every Purpose under the Heaven A Time to be born and a Time to die c. For as he assigns a determined Time to all sublunary things so likewise does he attribute the same to Life and Death That Place of Job is remarkable Ch. 7.1 Is there not an appointed Time to Man upon Earth Most of the Hebrew Doctors upon this Place agree that the Time is fixed how long a Man shall live Job is more express in another Place Chap. 14.5 Seeing his days are determin'd the number of his months are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass Here the Doctors are of the same Opinion This is likewise confirmed another way Moses saith Exod. 23.26 The number of thy days I will fulfil And David Ps 39.4 Lard make me to know mine end and the measure of my days and in the next Verse Behold thou hast made my days as an hand breadth Where R. Solomon comments As a thing that is measur'd with the hand so are the days of Man determin'd Solomon Eccl. 5.18 All the days of his Life which God giveth him Job 14.14 All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come From whence it is inferr'd that our Life consists of a certain number of days afore-appointed And because Life has such a Term to which as to a Goal Man bends his Course hereupon the Scripture makes use of this Phrase Gen. 47.29 And the Time drew nigh that Israel must die Deut. 31.14 And the Lord said unto Moses Behold thy days approach that thou must die 1
see that the Trade of Lisbon has mightily decay'd since the Jews were banish'd from thence 7. So Ezekiel in Chap. 36.13 seems to foretell that Calumny which was fasten'd upon some of the Jews that they Sacrificed Children and then drank their Blood But this slander is not unlike that which the Gentiles cast upon the Christians of their eating Infants and drinking Men's Blood as is plain in Tertullian's Apology Pineda's Eccl. Hist B. 11. c. 32. and Justin Martyr who for this Reason wrote an Apology for the Christians to Antoninus Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea B. 5. c. 1. also relates that some People in France us'd to asperse the Christians for eating Man's flesh But thus it is Ambitious and envious Men are easily provok'd to slander Therefore let John Langius in the 71st Epist of his first B. say what he pleases But I solemnly protest before the God of Israel the Maker of Heaven and Earth in whose Presence I stand that the Jews are so far from Sacrificing Children or eating Men's Flesh and drinking their Blood that they have no Sacrifices at all and utterly abhor the use of any Blood Though indeed the Law of God does not prohibit abstinence from all kind of Blood but only that of Beasts and Birds yet in obedience to the Doctrine of the Rabbins they even abstain from that of Fish Nay if they perceive the least Particle of Blood in an Egg they throw it away And if while they are eating discern the least Drop of Blood on their Meat or Bread which may proceed from the Tenderness of their Gums they will not touch it any more till it is cleans'd or rather they fling it away How is it probable then that they would drink the Blood of Men when they can't endure any Blood in their Victuals 8. That prediction was verified which is spoken of in Hosea c. 3.4 For the Children of Israel shall abide many days without a King and without a Prince and without a Sacrifice c. And this seems to be their condition at present and because this was to continue many days therefore Zion says The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Isa 49.14 Thus David also sadly complains of this thing to God Psal 89.20 to the End 9. The Prophet Amos foretells the miserable Captivity of the Jews under Titus Chap. 1.9 This prediction is meant of those who escaping the Hands of Titus and flying by Palaestine and the Borders of Tyrus were apprehended by the Tyrians and sent back to Edom i. e. to Titus and his Army They forgetting the Covenant which their Fathers had made with the Israelites whom they call'd Brethren as is express'd in 1 Kings 9.13 What Cities are these which thou hast given me my Brother 10. Jonas said Ch. 3.4 Yet forty days and Nineveh shall he destroyed This Prophecy also had its Event for it was conditional viz. unless it would repent Now their Repentance was the Cause of God's altering his Sentence and averting that Destruction which he threatned 11. Haggai the Prophet says Ch. 2.9 The Glory of this latter House shall be greater than of the former saith the Lord of Hosts and in this place will I give Peace Some understand by the latter House a third Temple which the Jews expect For they think if the Prophet had meant Esdras's Temple he would have said the Second not the Latter because by saying the Latter he implies a Middle one Another reason of their Opinion is because it is said In this place will I give peace Now say they under the Second there were a great many Wars Others understand it of the second Temple among whom are R. David Kimchi and most of the Antients For this seem'd to excell the former First in respect of Duration because that lasted but 410 and this 420 Years 2ly in respect of the great Esteem it was in among Foreign Princes Lastly upon the Account of the great Presents that they made to it For Darius and Artaxerxes generously bestow'd several Gifts towards building the Temple and Divine Sacrifices Alexander the Great highly reverenc'd the Chief Priest and desir'd that he would offer Sacrifices to God for him No body can be ignorant of Ptolemy Philadelphus's Bounty towards it Antiochus King of Greece by a publick Edict forbad all Strangers to enter the Temple and prophane that Place which the Jews had consecrated for the Service of their Religion the same was done by Demetrius To this we may refer what was urg'd among many other things by a Jewish Priest in defence of his Cause at the time when the Jews and the Samaritans disputed before Alexander the Great about the Honour and Dignity of the Temple says he This Temple has been much reverenc'd by all the Kings of Asia who have bestow'd upon it many noble Donatives We read in F. Josephus contr Appion that Ptolemy Evergetes after his Conquest of Syria offer'd Sacrifices at Jerusalem after the Jewish manner to the true God and not to Idols Pompey the Great did not dare to touch much less to rifle the Treasury of the Temple It was a Mistake of Cicero's in his Orat pro Plan. and St. Augustin's too to say that he did not do it because he would not be thought too ambitious I am sure this Reason is too absurd for he might have done it if he pleased by the Law of Arms. But the true Cause of his forbearance was the mighty veneration which he had entertain'd for the Temple Philo the Jew out of a Letter of Agrippa's to the Emperour Caius reports these things Caesar Aug. out of respect to the Temple commanded that a Sacrifice should be offer'd every day out of his own Revenue And Julia Augusta his Consort bestow'd several magnificent Gifts upon it It was also much oblig'd to the Generosity of Cleopatra Queen of Egypt Tiberius every Year of his Reign commanded that a Sacrifice should be offer'd to God out of his Tribute and so did Nero. But when Eleazar very imprudently refus'd to admit of Nero's Sacrifice the Emperour chang'd his mind and grievously persecuted the Jews I shall not make mention of those who seeing the Religion of the Jews were converted to the Worship of the true God It is very remarkable that all the time that Herod was building the Temple it did not rain which was done no doubt for the greater Honour of it All that I have said here was to shew that the Prophecy of Haggai is to be understood of the Second Temple SECT 6. There are other Prophecies likewise which were exacily fullfill'd 1. Daniel not only foretold the four Monarchies which should Rule over Jerusalem but he express'd the very Qualities and Nature of them For one part of that Image that was represented to him compounded of four several Metals which was Gold denoted the Kingdom of Babylon and that exceeded all the rest in Power That part which was Silver signified the Kingdom of the Medes but this was