A Commendation of Rabbi Rubens
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/B07417.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
A commendation of Rabbi Rubens orginal seeking Hebrew Gospel from Albion to be kept for Posterity by the LL. care:
A monument against a son of Belial: who hindered the proceeding of a most glorious cause: to call the curse of Jews & Gentiles to light upon him.
1611▪ Decemb. 2.
I mentioned R. H. in a commentary upon the Apocalypse a libeller in the depth of Atheism, who libelled that the Jews Epistle, which some of your Lordships saw sent from Byzantian Rome, or Constantine town, to London, & bade send it thence for Basil to me: He libelled that I feigned the matter. Here upon I have complained to God & the world in many the highest degrees. The very Jew praised God, that from the ends of the Earth he heard the praises of the Eternal▪, & said: from Isaiah he looked to hear that, from the ends of the earth. How honorable & how thankful English have been I can tell: that all the Gold they gave me was so liquide: that I could pour it into mine ey, & see never an whit the worse. All foreign towns of my stay yea Popish, would in my faith geven content to die with them. The highest slauunder that ever could be in the world was this: that I should forge a Jews letter seeking Hebrew Gospel from us. They had triumphed: that Christ, & Princes would not presently kill such an Athean vilain. The false accuser by Moses must be in place: & after conviction the judges: not geving right. But judges are not to take notion of the Party without accusation & proof. The libeller hath hindered now fiften years advantage to have cleared the Gospel in Hebrew from Albion over all, & hath stirred many to rave against Hebrew institutions in steed of thanks: that many say, the Jews time is not yet come. And some vow their childrē to my course of Hebrew: & requested all my Hebrew Library that when I am dead, they may mark my hand how I marked Talmudics. An hundredth years hence this matter may come into speech. And because the libeller must be confuted by the very original of the Jews Epistle, I have sent your Lordships that: to be kept in the Kings Library forever: Pasted with an Arabic book: that the few leaves being a lone should not be wasted. I doubt not but your Lordships in an honor gevē to your country in so high an argument, will see that the Jews original shall be kept as any the best records. And if the libeller can be found out, & proved who he is: I doubt not but your Lordships will wish the Eternal curse of God, upon the libeller for Athean villainy: & not upon yourselves for countenancing the vndeserving in highest degree of badness.
Your Lordships, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 H. BROVGHTON.