JUDÆORUM, OR A LETTER In Answer to certain Questions propounded by a Noble and Learned Gentleman, touching the reproaches caft on the Nation of the JEVVES; wherein all objections are candidly, and yet fully cleared. By Rabbi Menaffeh Re.. ¡frael a Divine and a Phyficyan. Printed by R.D. in the year 1656. Moft Noble, and Learned Sir, Have received a letter from your worship, which was welcome to me; and I read it, because yours, with great delight; if you will please to allow for the unpleasantneffe of the fubject. For I do affure your worship, I never met with any thing in my life which I did more deeply resent, for that it reflecteth upon the credit of a nation, which amongst so many calumnies, fo manifeft, (and therefore shamefull) I dare to pronounce innocent. Yet I am afraid, that whilst I answer to them, ' I shall offend fome, whose zeal will not permit them to confider, that self vindication, as defenfive armes, is naturall to all; but to be wholly filent, were to acknowledge what is fo falfly objected. Wherefore that I may juftifie my felf to my own conscience, I have obeyed your worships commands: for your request must not be accounted leffe, at least by me. I prefume your worship cannot expect either prolix, or polite difcourfes upon fo fad a fubject; for who can be ambitious in his own calamity? I have therefore dispatcht onely some concise, and brief relations, barely exceeding the bounds of a letter; yet fuch as may fuffice you, to inform the Rulers of the English nation, of a truth most reall, and fincere; which I hope they will accept in good part, according to their noble, and singular prudence and piety. For innocencie being alwayes most free from fufpecting evil, I cannot be perfwaded, that any one hath either spoken, or written against us, out of any particular hatred that they bare us, but that they rather fuppofed our coming might prove prejudiciall to their estates, and interefts; charity alwayes beginning at home. Yet notwithstanding I propounded this matter under an argument of profit (for this hath made us welcome in other countries) and A 2 there therefore I hope I may prove what I undertake. However, I have but small encouragement to expect the happy attainment of any other defign, but onely that truth may be justified of her children. I fhall answer in order to what your worship hath propofed. A THE FIRST SECTION. Nd in the first place, I cannot but weep bitterly, and with much anguish of foul lament that strange and horrid accufation of fome Chriftians against the difperfed, and affli&ted Lewes that dwell among them, when they say (what I tremble to write) that the lewes are wont to celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, fermenting it with the bloud of fome Chriftians, whom they have for this purpose killed: when the calumniators themselves have most barbarously and cruelly butchered fome of them. Or to speak more mildly, have found one dead, and caft the corps, as if it had been murdered by the lewes, into their houses or yards, as lamentable experience hath proved in fundry places: and then with unbridled rage and tumult, they accuse the innocent lews, as the committers of this most execrable fact. Which deteftable wickedneffe hath been fometimes perpetrated, that they might thereby take advantage to exercise their cruelty upon them; and sometimes to juftifie, and patronize their massacres already executed. But how farre this accusation is from any femblable appearance of truth, your worship may judge by these following arguments. 1. It is utterly forbid the lewes to eat any manner of bloud whatsoever, Levit. Chapter 7. 26. and Deuter. 12. where it is exprefly said D7 91, And ye shall eat no manner of bloud, and in obedience to this command the lewes eat not the bloud of any animal, And more then this, if they find one drop of bloud in an egge, they cast it away as prohibited. And if in eating a piece of bread, it happens to touch any bloud drawn from the teeth, or gummes, it must be pared, and cleansed from the faid bloud, as it evidenely appeares in Sulhan Haruch and our rituall book. | Since then it is thus, how can it enter into any mane heart to be lieve lieve that they should eat humane bloud, which is yet more detestable, there being fcarce any nation now remaining upon earth fo barbarous, as to commit fuch wickedneffe? 2. The precept in the Decalogue Thou shalt not kill is of generall extent; it is a morall command. So that the lewes are bound not onely, not to kill one of those nations where they live, but they are alfo oblig'd by the law of gratitude, to love them. They are the very words of R. Moses of Egypt in lad a Razaka, in his treatife of Kings, the tenth Chapter, in the end, Concerning the na tions, the ancients have commanded us to visit their fick and to bury their dead, as the dead of Ifrael, and to relieve, and maintain their poor, as we do the poor of Ifrael, because of the wayes of peace, as it is written, God is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. Pfal. 145. 9. And in conformity hereto, I witneffe before God bles-, fed for ever, that I have continually seen in Amsterdam where I refide, abundance of good correfpondency, many interchanges of brotherly affection, and fundry things of reciprocall love. 1 have thrice feen when fome Flemine Chriftians have fallen into the river in our ward, called Flemburgh, our nation caft themfelves into the river to them, to help them out, and to deliver their lives from death. And certainly he that will thus hazard himself to fave another, cannot harbour fo much cruell malice, as to kill the innocent, whom he ought out of the duty of humanity to defend and protect. 3. It is forbidden Exodus 21. 20. to kill a ftranger; If a man fmite his fervant, or his maid with a rod, and he die under his hand, he shall furely be punished, notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his money. The text fpeaks of a fervant that is one of the Gentile nations, because that he onely is faid to be the money of the Iew, who is his master, as Aben Ezra well notes upon the place. And the Lord cominands, that if he die under the hand of his master, his master shall be put to death, for that as it feems, he ftruck him with a murderous intent. But it is otherwife if the fervant dies afterwards, for then it appeares, that he did not ftrike him with a purpose to kill him; for if fo, he would have killed him out of hand, wherefore he fhall be free, and it may fuffice for punishment that he hath lost his money. If therefore a Iew cannot A 3 kill |