An Epistle of a Hebrew Willing to Learn Christianity
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A16974.0001.001
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
AN EPISTLE OF AN EBREW WILLINGE TO LEARNE CHRISTIANITY: SENT by him to London: & thence, by the Archb. of Canterburies advise, to Basil: thence returned with some further speech upon it unto the Queen of Englandes most excellent majesty.
BY HVGH BRVGHTON: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .
Rom. 9. 4.
PRINTED AT BASIL. BY CONRADVS WALDKIRCH 1598.
TO THE MIGHTIE PRINCE ELISABET BY TE GRACE OF GOD Queen of England, France & Ireland, desendour of the fath, &c.
F ROM the seas of ELISA, souerain lady, & from the city built by the son of the Bretan Helena, there came to your highness King dome, an epistle from a Lerned Hebrew, full of Eloquence, & rabbi{que} skill: judged to contain sparks of matter, which with due nourishment might give occasion to kindle far off the light of the Gospel, winninge such favor of migthy states that it might turn to the common good of Christendom. This Jew seemeth by his epistle to be of great authority, not only among Jews, which are in Constantina the chiefest of the world, that he carrying them after him, the rest over the east will sooner follow: but also with the greatest there: of whose affection nothing may be spoken, until it please himself to open his mind. He writeth in the tongue that was first used in the world: in which all the holy prophets books are written: and all divinity graduates must know, or bethought to see with other men's eyes: & by English universities they are bound to know: ne there may plead ignorance: but as they are highest in your majesties praeferment, so the care to awnswer toucheth them principally. His epistle penned with exquisite care showeth in his first entrance, skill putting all to the trial, ether to overmatch Christians by Judaism, for all their groūdes, if they grant his, & pass thē over as not dashing all faith: or, if by modesty & dexterity he be taught, how both Talmudes willfully disturb the Bible, that the Light of Christ should not shine to them being in Satan's darkness: he cannot by Lerning lenger resist: but by all Turks judgment, upon his own grounds of Scriptures authority, he shall be utterly overthrowen. After his begininge, he continueth sundry points in Lerned reverence: First commending, matters of England: next, requesting some petitions of instruction. Our divinity is in his speech highly esteemed: as standing upon the clear power of God's hand: & removing weeds: such as I think he blameth in Greeks. For as the Jews, so they, have overwhelmed all the Scripture, as with netles: which being vncutdowne, the thrueth cannoth be seen. Then he thinketh that N. hath great occasion to rejoice for a great number that he hath brought on to the knowlegde of God: from which help he also the Jew himself stretched out his hand: & caught an Omer full: while he standeth behind the wall: looking through the lattice, & knocking at the gates of understanding. After this he slideth unto commendation of your highness Ligier, at the city of Constantine, for his great care to settle him in Christianity, And after this praeparation he floweth most plentifully into your majesties commendation: that by your special tendering have divines so ready in the Golden candelstick of the Law for the generalles to bring them unto few heads: & for the particulares, the bowles, Knoppes, & flowers. Others he commendeth, as may appear in his Epistle: and after, he cometh to his requests: wherein first he showeth a fervent desire, & most hearty affection to have N. sent to teach all the synagoges in Constantina, promising that he shall be received as an Angel. But first he would have the sum of all the Scripture plentifully handled: & endeth his Epistle with à Lerned sonnet. This Letter was brought unto my Lord's grace, to croyden: where he should be best at leisure. But his grace seeing an English Endorcement, and saying that he could rede no further, bade the bringers send it to me. Others also counted ready in the tongue of divinity, could or would say little to it. Here upon it returned towards the east, not with small hazard: yet▪ by God's goodness, it came safe to me to Basil. I durst not return the Letter: being of so weighty importance, to abide new danger. But I printed an awnswer to my Lord's grace: showing the principal effect: thinking that his gr. would have sent for an whole copy or have written: that in this so weighty bysines, to do good to all the world, no shadow of negligence or delay should appear. But because that is not done, I have printed the whole Epistle unto your M. whom the care should chiefly touch: & will show, according to my leisure more then others had hereyn, my poor opinion of proceeding: if your highness give me leave. My care is the greater: for his G. dealings in as great matters about the Bible, Labored in, ten whole years, upon your M. word: & crossed after all that labor, & charges of so great time, by his Graces will & authority. I shown his G. how, upon Dan. 11. 38. unskillfulness, allowed by his skill, betrayd God's name, & whole religion, to Satan. Yet there, three Greke translationes, if they had been known in England, might have given light unto à sure truth: besides the most steadfast certainty of the Hebrew term: So Polychronius the Greke, might for all Daniel. Then his G. yielded: with high Promises. Since a new difference as great fell. That, this Jew may end: whose Epistle followeth.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
THvs your M. seeth the Epistle: desired of many sent to England: thence to Basil: of one made many: that all may see it. The awnswerer should be, my L. G. for Lerned fame & authority. A Greater cause his G. never dealt in: then to open all te bible, both Testaments in Hebrew. And if his G. knoweth naught in Hebrew: Greke will do as well, for Byzantium: and better for England: to calm waves blow̄ of late, to the ruin of all religiō, & learning, which this Epistle to the Jew will quiet: & brede a windeless Cymatolegen. His G. knoweth who stirred a dissention: for the principal article of the Crede: for Christ his passion, wether his soul went from his body. The Greke tongue, in speech to this Jew will cut off all controversy: as Lerned linguistes & the sure in Scripture grounds know that all was ever plain to the Simplest. The Evangelists told that Christ his soul should go presently from his body to his kingdom, to Paradise, to the hand of God; even through the veil of his flesh into heaven. This the Evangelists taught: and no one syllable in te Prophets ever taught otherwise. Now the prophets phrase of all souls departing this life is: a descendinge to Sheol, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And in speech of full death among such as held the souls immortality in another world: with the bodies death, they mentioned the souls descent to scheol, & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Inferos, Hell So Homer V. 3. for thousands: so Demosthenes for 4000. slain at one fight by K. Philip. yet they held them to be in happy case: & with their God's. So the Crede is penned by a phrase vnwrestable: plain to all Jews & Gentiles: till the Barbarous would Lerne Divinity, as from Dauus in the market, against religion & all Lerning. This all his G. may cure saffely by writing in Greke, where none may say that Christ descended to Gehennuo: & where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to him & all good, is Paradise. So his Graces 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , would win him Eternal fame. And I trust your M. will not appoint a meaner then his G. to this charge But, I must leave that, to your Majesty's wisdom. yet I hope, all in a case of so weighty importance, may do well, when occasion forceth them to deal, then to speak in humble care, somewhat touching te weight of Lerned business: wherein they have best occasion to see the right: and what should be done. Thus I wish your M. all good meditationes, and one that containeth all: how God sitteth on à fiery throne, & that all men must 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that there not Gehenna but paradise may be your blessed rest.
your Majesty's most humble subject. HVGH BROVGHTON.