THere came lately to my view, a Libel which did pennance in a sheet, (as I am informed its Author did once, doubtless for some of his good qualities upon the pillory) intituled, The Case of the Jews stated, or their Synagogues opened. A man would admire to finde so much venome in the body of so little a Spider; but what can be more poisonous than the blood of a red haired man? This Scriblers pen was once filled with malice and slander as black as his ink; yet God sends curse Cows short Horns, and 'tis in vain for such Wolves to bark a­gainst the Moon. As this Fellows heart is filled with envy and malice; so his noddle is as well gifted with a goodly talent of beastly ignorance, which he betrayes at the first dash, when he would needs have the Archi-Syna­gogues to be Levites and Prophets; whereas the Levites are one certain Tribe, and the Archi-Synagogue neither were alwayes chosen out of that Tribe, nor constantly Prophets. In the next place he picks out a ridiculous fa­ble out of Matthew Paris, which relates the crucifixion of some children by the Jews: 'tis a likely matter, that the Jews should first circumcise a Child to make him a Jew, and then murder him; or, that in such their enterprizes, they should cause one to represent Pilate, when none of them that I ever spake with, believe there was any such person; besides this Hebraeo-Mastix should (if he would have had his story credited) have bestowed some Hebrew name on his child, rather than Jurnin. We do not deny, [Page 2] but some such things were father'd upon the Jews, as also poisoning of Wells about the time they were expelled, but who I beseech you were the actors of these crimes? none but the Monks and Friers, men, who besides their practice of Necromancy and other unlawful Arts, did frequently murder children in their Monasteries, to keep their unclean conversation from the knowledge of the world, they moved by envy at the prosperity of the Jews, crucified Children, and poisoned Wells that laying the blame upon the Jews, they [...]ght provoke the hatred of the common people toward [...] them, and also to have matter where-with [...] [...]r which to com­pl [...]in of them to the King that they might pr [...]e from him their B [...]nishment, for which they h d l [...]g time before very earnestly, though in vain, solicited [...]im, as Mr. Daniel sheweth, whose excellent pen hath set forth very much of the injurious dealing and cruelties used to­wards the Jews; from the guilt of which, I bes [...]ch the Lord to absolve this Generation, & give us good hearts towards his poor afflicted people, who are therefore dis­persed amongst us, that we may have occasion for the exercise of mercy and hospitality; and because Almighty God will try whether we will like savage Canibals devour strangers, or with good Abraham and Lot, receive them kindly into our houses. This fellow says moreover (for though Iupiters brain could produce but one Minerva his whimsical noddle can hatch a thousand Chymaeraes of folly) that the Jews were enjoyed by a Statute to wear a piece of woollen Cloath upon their brests▪ that they might be thereby distinguish'd, but he tells us not in what time this Statute was enacted; so that we must let it re­main Apocripha till we have leasure to search, and then I doubt it will be canoniz'd, nemine contra dicente, amongst the rest of his lyes. But that which I most blame in this [Page 3] Companion, is, that he goes about by a secret way to instruct (sic sus Minervam docet) the supreme Authority what is to be done; for his presumption intends this Patch as a president for them, and flatters himself that it may prove a Remora to their favourable proceedings in the Jewish affairs. But admit the Jews were commanded to wear such a badge of distinction formerly in England, as now they are at Rome, caused to wear Hats of a different colour from others: must the same measure be used to­wards these Jews in these times, and under this most ex­cellent Government? must we imitate Papists in using strangers to whom we give harbor despitefully? doth this man finde it in the Gospel, that we must do good to those who persecute us, and will he persecute those who do him no hurt? is this to assert the Kingdom of Christ? truely it is rather the mystery of iniquity, and the voice of an Antichrist: there is no reason for this pretence, a­gainst it there is; for should the Jews have Re-admit­tance here, it would behove many of them, and some very eminent persons, who have been forc'd to dissemble their Religion among the Papists, to keep themselves still in some sort secret (which they cannot do if they may be known by their Garments, lest the Jesuitical spies, which are here, should send intelligence of them beyond Sea, and upon their account cause their Friends in Spain and Portugal, and in some parts of Italy, where the Inquisition is, as in Millain, to be called in question.

In the next place, it would grieve one to see how the pitiful thing doth stretch his slender wits upon the tentor-books to muster up the Jews Ceremonies, Prayers, and Benedictions used in their Synagogues, which he hath borrowed ou [...] of Purchases Pilgrimage, or Rosse his View of Religions, (who took them upon trust themselves) but if [Page 4] he had met with Leo Modena's Book of the Manners and Customes of the Jews▪ translated by Mr. Edmund Chilmead, he might have been better informed, however we must take it at his hand, as men buy wares at the third and fourth Mart, with all the sophistications; so that it may he said of him in respect of his Pamphlet, as one said of Homer in regard of his Iliades.

And thus he lyes, thus mingle false with true. 'Tis true that many of those Blessings and Ceremonies are indeed used by the Jews, for which they are not to be blamed by him or any other: but when he would perswade people by the opening and shutting of Heavens Gates, that the Jews believe God hath need of rest or sleep, or shunneth importunities, risum teneatis amici? And since I read the story of his Cock, I profess I never saw a Cock, but I thought of him for a Coxcomb when he comes to the privy he paddles to the very throat in stinking lyes, and there we will leave him to play the Gold-finder, for 'tis a place much fitter for him, than the Pulpit: onely we must take some notice of his malicious assertion, That the Jews constantly curse the Christians in their Assem­blies, cujus contrarium verum est: for in their dayly prayers they beseech God for the peace of those Nations among whom they live, and for the honour, safty, and increase of the power of the Prince under whose protection they are; as may more largly appear in a Declaration set forth lately by that learned Jewish Doctor Menasseh ben Israel, which might have stopt this Fellows mouth, and pre­vented his ugly, mishap'd, abortive, unlick'd Cub from creeping into the view of the world, if his bruitish Sire had not been wholly made up of folly and impudence.

Whereas he mentions lascivious Motto's (as he calls them) placed in the houses of the Jews, it is utterly false; [Page 5] or should any lewd persons of them (and it seem, his ac­quaintance was only of that sort, if he knew any Jews at all) set up any such Ribauldry in their rooms, the gra­ver sort, who do frequently visit the houses of the rest, would tear it down; and for my own particular, I have been in the houses of many Jews, but never saw any such thing: the only Ornaments they use for their walls are Pi­ctures representing Bible-Histories. Suppose he had seen some such Motto's in the houses of some idely disposed person amongst the Jews, is it not a madness in him to chargethe whole nation with it? some of all nations and religions are bad, must therefore all the men in the world be so? if men did not consider the time when his paper came out, they would think Mid-summer Moon did o­perate in this Fellow's Pate. In the rear of all he brings up that of the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. cap. ult. v. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema, Mari­natha. But he should have remembred, that the Apostle speaketh here neither of, nor to the Jews, but concerning such as Alexander, and Hymeneus, Simon Magus, and his Followers, who were apostatized Christians; for Paul doth elsewhere expound himself, and affirm, That the Church hath no power to punish by Excommunication or Anathematization, such as alwayes were out of the pale, but such only as having been once within the pale, have departed out of it. To this all the Fathers and Do­ctors of the primitive Church assent; for none can have due voc [...]tion to punish, but those to whom the offender oweth subjection. In this respect the renowned Repub­lik of Venice, together with all the most learned Civili­ans of Christendome, have judged it unfit that the secu­lar Magistrate should take any notice of any ecclesiastical censures denounced against such as never were subject to [Page 6] the Church, as may be seen more fully in the History of the Inquisition, compiled by that able States-man and judicious Lawyer, Paul Serveta, an Italian Frier.

Thus (gentle Reader) have I vindicated the honorable Nation of the Jews from the fowl aspersions of a black-mouth'd slanderer; which, if I have done with some sharp­ness, it is but what his folly hath merited. In the mean time, I hope no ingenious Person will think a rod ill be­stowed upon a Fools back: but if ever he display his fol­ly again upon the same subject, (as I look he will, for a fool will be never the wiser, though brayed in a morter) instead of a Rod, I will send him

I could have inlarged, in sh [...]wing the many commodi­ties the Jews would bring to this Commonwealth, their adherency formerly to the Parliament of England, and their great affection to the present Government, and par­ticularly to his Highness the Lord Protector, (whose Pa­tronage they do more desire than that of any other Prince in Christendome) but that it hath been done already suf­ficiently by an abler Pen, I mean that of Menass [...]h ben Isra­el, the Hebrew Doctor. Therefore I shall conclude, be­seeching Almighty God to give to all those that are right in heart, the fruition of those good things promised under the reign of the Prince of peace, whose coming is dayly expected and hope to be at hand by many good Christians.