TO THE Religious and right Faithfull Chriſtian Reader.
AFter that I was brought up in the Jewiſh belief till I was Twenty four years of age, and inſtructed therein, walking after the footpathes of my forefathers, not having any motive or illumination to belong unto ſuch Honour as to be a Member of Chriſts body. Yet know, that through the mercy and merit of Chriſt my only Saviour and Redeemer, after theſe times I received miraculouſly, as it were in a moment, another knowledge of the holy Trinity, which God wrought in me a born unworthy ſuperſtitious Jew, through the aſſiſtance of his holy Spirit, and gave me a brighter light of underſtanding, and brought me〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉that is, out of the darkneſs of Aegypt, opening mine eyes, curing me2 of my Leproſie and blind-born heart, bringing me to the true Chriſtian Faith of the true and only Sonne of God (which the Prophets call Meſſias:) whom I (with my illuminated eyes already ſince ſhort time having received that light from the holy Scripture by the hand of Faith) do acknowledge, to be our Redeemer, the promiſed Seed of the woman, who hath bruiſed the Serpents head, through whom all Nations ſhall be ſaved whoſo rightly beleeve on him.
And many ſhall marvell to hear in what manner the Jews hoping for their Meſſias according to their Rabbies carnall expounding of the old Teſtament after their ſuperſtitious and unbeleeving hearts; inſomuch that it may ſeem more eaſie and poſſible to turn an hard iron or ſtone in an inſtant into water, as ſoon as a Jews heart unto Chriſtian Religion, for and in reſpect of ſuch their Rabbies fabuling.
Wherein (gentle Reader) you ſhall underſtand more largely and plainly the Occaſion of this my Converſion, who am a born Jew, and who drunk their ſuperſtition from out my mothers breſt, and from my Childhood untill my Manly years, have been inſtructed in their Synagogues, and ſtrengthened in their Talmuth books, which are by them in uſe; and have been much exerciſed eſpecially in Jewiſh Queſtions out of thoſe ſaid Talmuths againſt forreign Rabbies, and what ſuch like they in3 their dreams expound and learn.
Therefore I departed from ſuch fraternity, and embraced the true Spouſe of Chriſt, the right Bridegroom, with publike confeſſion of her only ſaving Faith by the grace of Jeſus Chriſt, through the holy Baptiſm regenerate, being cleanſed and purified from the debt of Inheritance and the ſins of unbelief, in the precious bloud of the immaculate Lamb promiſed from the beginning.
Likewiſe to make a full and publike expreſſion of my enjoying the right Chriſtian Faith, I arrived here in England, not out of any doubt that I have therein (being throughly confirmed in that Faith by the true knowledge and manifeſtation of the old and new Teſtament) much rejoycing to have received the Chriſtian Faith, which heretofore few or no Jews have done, whereof many Chriſtians have much debate and queſtions therefore; but my deſire is, that ſo long as Almighty God grants me life, to ſerve him as a right true Chriſtian ought to do.
Likewiſe Chriſtian Reader you ſhall underſtand how the Jews diſhonour the holy and pure birth of Chriſt, in a curſed Book called〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉that is to ſay, The Story of the hanged, which they privately print that the Chriſtian Princes and Potentates ſhould take no notice thereof. But the everlaſting Sonne of God, and Prince of all Princes, ſeeing the injury and vices done unto him, puniſhed them according4 to their deſerts; for they bringing ſuch curſed books in Poland to the light and to be made publike, many of that curſed and viperous Nation were killed, exiled and deſtroyed, after the ſaying of Moſes, Deut. 28.15. And it ſhall come to paſſe, if thou wilt not hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, to obſerve to do all his Commandements and his Statutes which I command thee this day, that all theſe curſes ſhall come upon thee, and overtake thee. The Lord ſhall ſmite thee with madneſs, and blindneſs, and aſtoniſhment of heart. And thou ſhalt grope at noon dayes, as the blind gropeth in darkneſs, and thou ſhalt not proſper in thy wayes: and thou ſhalt be onely oppreſſed, and ſpoiled evermore, and no man ſhall ſave thee. As more plainly in the ſame Chapter is propheſied.
Moreover I will plainly declare and make notorious unto all Chriſtians, as well to the learned as the unlearned, that they may both ſee, hear and underſtand, how theſe poor Jews do expound the holy Scripture, Prophets and Teſtaments, in their Talmuds, Fables, Dreams, Dialogues, and ſuch like foolery, even as wicked carnall men, or a lewd drunken woman, who ſeeketh not after that which is pure, or the truth, but do viſibly more and more bring the curſe of God upon them, as Eſay witneſſeth, in his ſixth Chapter, and through Gods Ordinance propheſied to them ſaying, Ye hear indeed but underſtand not, and ye ſee indeed but perceive not; make the hearts of theſe people fat,5 and make their ears heavy, and ſhut their eyes, leſt they ſee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and underſtand with their heart, and convert and be healed.
I am well aſſured that my Converſion, and declaring of their unjuſt dealings and fooleries, ſhall pleaſe them as well as a ſtaff, or the graſs doth the dogg; but they ſhall know, that I do it for no other end, but that truth may victorize againſt all ſuch blaſphemous people and Nations; not that I will in any wiſe compare them unto their ancient Parents and right ſeed of Abraham, for aſſuredly they were elect and the Children of God.
I hope that through this my writing, Chriſt ſhall cure them of their blindneſs, open their ears, and ſoften their hard-hearted hearts with this my writing: And I do not only ſpeak unto them, but alſo pray them, that they will do ſo much as inquire and ſeek into the holy Scripture which they have altogether rejected, and they will find it will appear, if they ſeek they ſhall finde, and if they knock it ſhall be opened unto them; and verily they ſhall ſee and finde, that my Inſtructions and Exhortations are moſt true; but with this condition, they muſt ſet aſide their dreamings, invented humane Talmuths, together with the method of their Rabbies expounding; then may they be brought out of the captive and dark Aegypt, into the right way and bright ſhining light of Chriſt our right and undoubted Meſſias, and6 belong unto the truth, and be transfigured: even as I have already been enlightned through the aſſiſtance of the holy Spirit, thanks and praiſe be to God therefore: Then ſhall they all perceive and underſtand, and our joy ſhall be compleat; for the time is now at hand, but not as they hope for. And although many learned Chriſtians have written unto them of the true Meſſias, yet I am in hope that ſuch Jews and their children as have formerly known me, will more look upon this my writing, and be converted unto Chriſt, foraſmuch as they know I was not one of the leaſt of their Rabbins amongſt them, and therefore have not through ignorance or blindneſs imbraced the true Religion and Chriſtian Faith, untill I had right and well ſearched and enquired into the holy Scripture, and ſo found my portion and the due belonging thereto.
And to yee beleeving brethren and Chriſtians ſhall I communicate, certifie and declare of the Jews naturall enmity againſt all Chriſtians, in Curſing all Kings, Princes, Potentates, and all Chriſtians whatſoever, as alſo their Kingdoms and Countries, and eſpecially departed and converted Jews which are regenerate unto the Chriſtian faith through the holy Baptiſm; and what manner they uſe in that curſed Ceremony ſhall be expreſſed in this Treatiſe, though I hold it unneceſſary to write much thereof, becauſe I ſuppoſe that more learned Chriſtians have the knowledge thereof already.
7Yet I hope that all true beleeving Chriſtians will accept of this ſmall and ſhort Book, expreſſing and revealing the wickedneſs of the Jews, and hope you will excuſe my weakneſs and unfit underſtanding and knowledge in the Engliſh tongue, whereby I am not able to expreſs by word of mouth to any one what I ſhall here ſet forth, being things of great concernment; as of the ſtupid hearts and natures of the Jews, and of the falling of bloud from Heaven four times every year in the Jews houſes, and at what time of the year it falleth ſhall be here declared; humbly deſiring all thoſe who ſhall read this my little and firſt Chriſtian work, to take it in good part as from a beginning ſcholar and young Chriſtian.
The Jews hoping for their Meſsias, and the manner of his coming, according to the fooliſh Opinion of their Rabbies.
THe Jews have a Book called〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉and in the 106. page is expreſſed, that they ſhall have two Meſſiaſſes, the firſt ſhall be called Meſsias Ben Joſeph, and the other Meſsias Ben David; the firſt ſhall be〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉8that is interpreted a Warrior or brave Captain: But they themſelves know not in what manner he their Meſſias ſhall come, or rule, or reign, many of the Jews writing thereof, but none agreeing one with another, ſo that their blindneſs ſtill remaineth; and from time to time they become more blind, falling from one Scripture to another, and after much running and enquiring of their Rabbies concerning the ſame, they can obtain no knowledge or underſtanding thereof in their hardned and aſtoniſhed hearts; according to the ſaying of the Prophet Zechariah Chap. 12. And they ſhall look on me whom they have pierced, and they ſhall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only ſonne, and ſhall be in bitterneſs for him as one that is in bitterneſs for his firſt-born; which ſpeech is ſpoken of Chriſt, and no other, as hereafter I ſhall cleerly ſhew and ſet forth.
But they interpret this ſaying of the Prophet in another manner in their fooliſh Talmuth, in the Book〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Chap. 10. where they ſay that Meſsias Ben David the ſecond, in a battell againſt Gog and Magog ſhall be ſlain: And as it is further written in their Talmuth, when their Meſſiaſſes come together, they ſhall make warre with the Chriſtians, and the Chriſtians ſhall have a Captain called Gogmagog, with whom their Meſſias ſhall joyn in battell; and they write much of their Meſſias9 through their own evil nature and the ſpirit of the Devil, which they call in Hebrew〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉they write and ſpeak, that God ſhall ſay unto their apparent Meſſias the ſonne of David, Ask of me and I ſhall give thee, but make no mention what God ſhall or will give unto him: They reject the holy books of Pſalms, where God ſpeaks through the mouth of the Kingly Prophet David in his ſecond Pſalm, Thou art my Sonne, this day have I begotten thee, ask of me, and I ſhall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance. But ſay they, when Meſsias Ben David is ſo ſlain, Meſſias Ben Joſeph ſhall come before the face of God ſaying〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉that is, Omnipotent and Ruler of the World, I deſire nothing of thee but Everlaſting life; and the Lord God ſhall anſwer to him, I will give thee ſuch Everlaſting life.
Here may every good upright and Pious Chriſtian behold and perceive, how this blind and heart-ſtopped people reject the holy Scriptures, Prophets and Miniſters, through their Rabbies ignorant and unfit knowledge; for they have no thought in the leaſt of ſuch a Meſſias as ſhould redeem them from their ſinnes and ſpirituall captivity, but of a valiant Man, who ſhall ſo valiantly fight with the Chriſtians, ſhall ſlay them and overcome them, take their houſes, goods and Lands from them, and give them unto the10 Jews for their Inheritance, having no other thoughts in them, but how they may rob the Chriſtians of their goods.
Further they write in the before mentioned book〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉fol. 96. That they ſhall be delivered in the Moneth of May, through their Meſſias; but Rabi Aſua ſaid and ſuppoſed that it ſhall come to paſſe in the Moneth of April; for his Argument is, That in this Moneth they have been alwayes delivered.
And when he ſhall appear writes Rabbi Solomon in his book Erat, in the 4th Chapter, that it ſhall be upon an Aſſe, and properly upon ſuch an Aſſe as Abraham the Patriarch rid on when he was to offer his ſonne Iſaak, as it is to be ſeen Gen. 22. upon whoſe Aſſe they ſay Moſes and Cipora his wife rid on likewiſe when they arrived into Aegypt, and they think it can no otherwiſe be, but that their Meſſias muſt come upon ſuch an Aſſe.
Now my loving Jews, I ſuppoſe ſurely that it ſhall be an old ſtrong and great Dogg, whom ye miſerable filthy men muſt well bathe and anoint, that his old bones may be nimble and ſtrong, otherwiſe at the battell and fight againſt the skilfull, good and valiant Chriſtians, he muſt not conquer or be worth a pibble ſtone.
But they think, That as it ſhall come to11 paſſe that their Meſſias ſhall appear upon ſuch an old Aſſe, it ſhall be ſolemnly repreſented after this manner: Firſt, Elias the Prophet ſhall arrive and reveal unto them ſuch a joyfull meſſage and tyding, that ſuch an omnipotent and mighty one, upon ſuch an old Aſſe is ready to appear, and in a moment, with a Trumpet like an Herald, or Marſhall, or otherwiſe with a great Horn ſhall he utter his voice, which all Jews in all the corners of the world ſhall hear, and be gathered together in one place.
Now I underſtand that their Elias ſhall become an Hunter, which ſhall gather through the voice of his Horn, all the Doggs (that is to ſay) the Jews of the whole world together, and they are ſtedfaſt in their opinion, that ſo ſoon as they ſhall be gathered together in that place, their Meſſias ſhall appear upon that old Aſſe, upon whom alſo all the Jews ſhall ſit, and ſo altogether be tranſported through the ſea into the promiſed Land about Jeruſalem.
This the Chriſtians and all other Nations ſhall ſee, and deſiring likewiſe to ride over into that Land with them, ſhall not have ſuch favour of God that they may ſit upon the body of the Aſſe; yet this ſhall be granted, that they may ſit upon the tayl of him, which ſhall be lifted up, and ſo ſoon as the Aſſe ſhall be in the middeſt of the ſea, he ſhall let his tayl12 ſink, that all the Chriſtians may fall down, and〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉that is, in a moment, be drowned, but the Jews ſhall ſafely ride along through the Sea at their pleaſure into the holy Land.
Now loving Jews, this muſt be a monſtrous great Aſſe whereupon ye muſt all together ſit; but I think all the unfaithfull Jews muſt be put into a ſack in a leſſer form than the motes of the Sunne, to be carried into that Land of promiſe, otherwiſe it is impoſſible that ſuch a beaſt as the Meſſiah had ſhould carry them all through the Sea; and when they are in the middle of the Sea, down falls the ſack and all the Jews are drowned, and the true Chriſtians through the blood of the true Meſſias Jeſus Chriſt of Nazareth, and his ſufferings on the holy Croſſe, ſhall be ſaved.
But my dear friends, where, in what place is this Aſſe now at this preſent? I think he is with the Bull and the Cow, the Whales, the great Frogs and Birds mentioned in your Songs which ye call Acdomes, and which ye ſing with great devotion upon〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉that is, Whitſunday in your Synagogues, which is thus in Caldean〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉which interpreted is thus; when I begin to ſpeak and begin to ſay I will take conſent; and coming into the middeſt of the Song, you cry aloud in your Synagogues in theſe words〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉which is to ſay,13 the Whale moveth himſelf with his ſins.
Here loving Chriſtians you may ſee what is ſet in their fabling Talmuths. A Rabbie, by Name Rabbie Solomon, writeth a ſtrange ſtory from this Song, and that in this manner; That when our Lord God created the World, he created two great Whales, who were ſo extremely great that the whole world could not contain them for to multiply; therefore God killed the female of theſe two Whales, which he ſalted for the faithfull Jews: O ye blind and hard-hearted, will ye make God a fiſh-killer, or a Maſter of ſuch buſineſs!
Moreover he writes, That God created a great Bull and a great Cow, who were likewiſe ſo great, that in multiplying the world was not able to ſupport them; which the Lord foreſeeing, killed the female thereof and ſalted it as he did the Whale, and all for the good Jews.
In the ſame Book the Author writes and teacheth his Nation, That when the time approcheth and is at hand that their Meſſias ſhall appear, then God ſhall ſhew them this ſport and pleaſure, that is, that the great Whale and the Bull ſhall engage in a great fight, the one defending himſelf with his horrible fins, and the other with his horns, but the one ſhould not hurt the other, till God comes with his ſword and kills them after the Jewiſh and Levitiſh14 manner: ſo they make God a great killer and fight-Maſter: O the curſed teaching and abominable fables! And to continue further in his wicked ſtory he ſaith, That after God ſhall have ſlain this horrible Whale and Bull,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉that is, the Prieſts of the Jews are ready and at hand to cut them in peeces, whereof the Prieſts ſhall have a delicate and coſtly banquet, at which banquet they ſhall drink precious Wine, which from the beginning of all beginnings was hid ſecretly in cellars, that no Chriſtians or other Nations ſhall know of; for they are become〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉that is to ſay, unclean, and ſo the Jews ought not to drink with them: but I beleeve they make their reckoning in the winde, and wait thereupon without any profit: for they ſhall all drink of one cup, wherein there ſhall go ſo much in number as to that Hebrew word〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉which is 287. my meaning is, that this is the Cup whereof the Prophet Jeremy in his Prophecy maketh mention, filled with the wrath of God, ſo that they ſhall have enough to drink for ever.
But verily my loſt Brethren, Sure yee muſt have a very great fire to boyl, broyl and roſt this great Bull and this great Whale: but ſo much concerning the Jews banquet.
Now I will ſpeak a little of the greatneſſe of the Leviathan or Whale, who ſhall be ſo horrible great that the whole world ſhall ſtand upon him; but I would fain know15 how he ſhould endure upon his body ſuch a great burden or weight; but I ſuppoſe the great Frogs, and Bird mentioned in the Talmuth in the book〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Chap. 8. ſhall help him to ſupport and ſuſtein part of the great weight, otherwiſe the Whale happly alone might periſh under ſo great a burden.
It is wonder that ſuch unbeleeving people ſhould publikely write and teach ſuch groſſe lyes. Omer Rabi Bar Chanina, ſaith alſo in the Talmouth; I have ſeen, and behold on the one ſide a Frog in greatneſs like a Village or Town of 60 Houſes, another Frog much greater then the former, which cometh and beguileth and devoureth the firſt; and afterwards a bird or great fowl whom they call Guina, likewiſe came and beguiled the ſecond Frog, and after flew upon a Tree and there reſted; whereupon the Author ſaid, ſee and behold how great a Tree muſt that have been where ſuch a great fowl can ſit upon: now ſaid Rabbi Papa, had I not been there and ſeen the Bird at that time, I ſhould not have beleeved it.
Rabbi Saffera tells another Fable ſaying, As I once ſayled in a Ship, behold I ſaw a Fiſh who lifted his head out of the water, and I eſpied upon him two Horns, whereupon was written, I am the leaſt Creature that is created by God in the Sea, and am indeed three miles long, and muſt enter into the mouth of the Leviathan that is the Whale16 and be devoured of him. Now hark ye my loſt brethren, ye ſpeak much of your Leviathan, that but one ſhall be in the Sea: Surely, this Whale, your hoped for Leviathan, Anno Domini 1642. was brought into Riga, upon the Frontiers of Lifland under the juriſdiction of the Queen of Swede, at which time I was with my brother there, who is a Merchant, and there was taken at Riga a great Whale, and at a Merchants there, by name John Kortrimans, did eat of the Whale, whereof there were many hundred tuns ſalted, and I ſuppoſe truly it will prove that it was your Leviathan. Now my loving Jews, for as much as I now have been baptized, ſo I know that ye would have given me no part of your Leviathan; but however I have been before ye, for ye wait all too long upon it, and I had very good reaſon to be before ye, for in your Talmuth ſtandeth written, that no other ſhall have part thereof ſave onely the Prieſts, very well if it be ſo I am like of Nativity from (〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) that is from the Genealogy of Aaron the Prieſt, the brother of Moſes, and I have not once, but too often celebrated the wicked Ceremony with your Prieſts in (〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) that is, the ſervice and the ſons in the Synagogue, who all profeſſe themſelves to be of Levi.
But I will return again to my Story and Song called Achdonis, wherein is mentioned thus, that the ſaid banquet being dreſſed and17 made ready, it ſhall be preſented upon a Table of Carbuncle in Paradiſe, all this being done, the Jews ſhall waſh their feet in the water of Edom.
Very well my joyful Jews, in truth it ſhall be bright and light enough at the Carbuncle Table at your Banquet, but rather from the light of that fire within that Paradiſe, where the Devils dwell, and where ye ſhall miſſe of ſuch pleaſure, and water to waſh your feet; and they believe that after waſhing of their feet they ſhall begin a fair excellent dance, and God Almighty ſhall be the firſt beginner and maſter before them.
Yea my dancing Jews with thunder and lightning shall he dance before ye; Likewiſe Rabbi Eleaſer in〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉fol. 31. in the end of the Talmuth which he cals〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉ſaith, that when their apparent Meſsias shall arrive, how the Almighty shall make a dance to all righteous Jews (for onely the Jews, and none other they call righteous) and that ſo ſoon as the Jews appear together in Paradiſe, and how that one after another shall point their fingers towards God with great joy. In the ſame Talmuch and book Meg•lla fol. 33. ſaith Chennina, when the Meſsias shall appear, then shall God the Almighty shew great honours to the Jews, but I think it will be in fire, thunder and lightning, and that will be all the honour God will shew upon the curſed Jews.
18Menorat Hamor folio 70. writes〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, thus to underſtand, and to the King our Meſsias shall God the Almighty make ten dances; but my dancing Jews, there will be good profit for the Muſician when ſuch folk dance.
Alſo he ſaith in the ſame Book fol. 84, 85. That after the Reſurrection men ſhall eat, drink, marry, and bring forth children; The like ſtandeth written in the Talmuth in the Book Boma Metelehem, fol. 31. which was preached by Rabbi Simon the ſonne of Gameliel, (〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) in the laſt times when Meſsias ſhall appear, every wife shall bring forth a childe every day, which is likewiſe unnatural, and hath no foundation either in Divine or Humane Writings.
If any man ask the Jews, where their Meſſias is all this while: Their Anſwer is, He lies chained in Paradiſe all the whole week long with a great iron Chain that he cannot come away, and upon their Sabbath he is bound with a Hair of a Womans head, which he will not break, for that he will not dishonour the Sabbath. Now my devout Jews, I believe by this circumſtance, that the Devil shall be your Meſsias who lieth chained in hell, which ye call Gehennam, and cannot come from thence untill the time promiſed, and too ſoon I fear for your ſorrow.
Others of them do imagine, that when19 their Meſsias comes, he shall take them by force from the Chriſtians, and all other Nations, and bring them out of their Captivity; for example, they alledge that Moſes not inſtantly ſo ſoon as he was born releaſed his brethren out of the Captivity of Aegypt, but he tarried and waited upon the orders of God, and ſo brought〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, that hard folk out with a ſtrong hand, and ſo they believe their Meſsias will do the like.
Now my loving Chriſtian brethren, I cannot mention the hundred part of the fabling opinions and hopes they have of their Meſsias, becauſe I have not their Talmuth Book here, and other fables of their Rabbies expounding, but relate only what I can bring to memory, having been formerly a Rabbi amongſt them, for they never hoped for the right Meſſias, as our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, but much more wait upon their Antichriſt, of which the Prophet Daniel ſpeaketh much; and as the Apoſtle Paul, 2 Theſſ. 2. foresheweth, and ſpeaketh thereof in the whole Chapter. And our Saviour himſelf ſaith, That I am come in the name of my Father, and ye will not know me, but another ſhall come in his own Name, and him ſhall ye receive for a Meſſias. But John the Divine giveth this godly ſentence thereupon, ſaying, That when this falſe Meſſias shall come, Chriſt through his Spirit shall mark him for deſtruction, together with all them that believe on him,20 which are the Jews, and caſt them into a bottomleſs pit of torment, which burneth with pitch and brimſtone for ever, which is the Gehenna, the earthly pit of Corah, Dathan and Abiram, as you shall finde it written in the fifth Book of Moſes in the ſixteenth Chapter of Numbers verſ. 31. From which pit the Lord of his infinite mercy deliver us, and all good Chriſtians through the precious bloud of our Saviour and true Meſſias, Jeſus Chriſt, Amen.