SOS J E 
retained a ftrange affe&ion towards the Mofaic ceremonies. 
To cure them of this, Paul wrote them an excellent 
Epiftle, wherein he evinces the dignity of Jefus Chrift 
above angels, above Mofes and Aaron ; explains many of 
the leading types, and from the imperfection thereof 
clearly concludes the neceffity of their abolifhment. Pe¬ 
ter directed two Epiftles to thefe Hebrews; and James, 
John, and Jude, each of them another. 
Present State of the Jews in England and on 
the Continent. 
How foon any Jews fettled in England is unknown; 
but, from the fpread of Chriltianity among the Britons 
previoufly to its eftablilhment under Conllantine, it is 
reafonable to infer, that there had long been fome fyna- 
gogues here for the new faith. The inroads of the Saxons 
and Danes obliterated much of the imperfect converfion 
of the native inhabitants. At this period, the Jews, with 
Angular liberality, patronized the civilization of thefe 
barbarous heathens, by endowing Chriftian monafteries. 
In a charter of Witglalf kingof Mercia, made to the monks 
of Croyland, we find confirmed to them not only fuclt 
lands as had, at any time, been given to the monaftery 
by the kings of Mercia, but alfo all their pofieflions 
whatever, whether they were originally bellowed on them 
by Chriltians or Jews. Nearly a hundred years earlier, 
the Jews mull have been numerous in England, fince the 
24th paragraph of the Canonical Excerptions, publilhed 
by Egbright, archbiihop of York, in 740, forbids any 
Chriltians to be prefent at the Jewilhfealts. 
Indeed, during the feudal ages, the Jews feem to have 
been the rnoft opulent, polifhed, and literate, portion of 
the laity. They were the only bankers, or, as the vulgar 
termed them, vfurers of the time. They conducted what 
there exilted of foreign trade, and often vilited the civi¬ 
lized fouth of Europe. They wrought molt of the gold 
. and filver ornaments for altars. William RJifus, who (as 
Tovey lays) “was no better than an infidel,” not only 
■permitted but encouraged them to enter into folemn con- 
tefts with his hilltops concerning the true faith ; fwear- 
ing by St. Luke, that, if the Jews got the better in the 
dil'pute, he would turn Jew himlelf. Accordingly, in his 
time, there was a public meeting of the chief leaders on 
both Tides in London, when the Jews oppofed the Chril¬ 
tians with fo much vigour, that the bilhops and clergy 
were not without fome folicitude how the deputations 
might terminate. No other clafs of men was at that pe¬ 
riod enlightened enough to cope with the prielthood. 
Henry II. in the 24th year of his reign, granted a bu¬ 
rial-place to the Jews on the outfide of every city where 
they dwelt; a proof they were numerous and refpeCted. 
In this reign, one Joihua, a Jew, furnilhed the rebels in 
Ireland with"great fums of money. And one Sanfto, of 
Bury St. Edmund’s, took in pledge certain velfels appoint¬ 
ed for the fervice of the altar. Others were grown fo pre- 
fumptuous as even to Icoff at, and ridicule, the higheft 
dignitaries of the church. We may in part owe to them 
the lpirit which di&ated the Conftitutions of Clarendon. 
In 1188, the parliament at Northampton propoled to af- 
fefs the Jews at fixty thoufand pounds, and the Chriltians 
at leventy thoufand, toward a proje&ed war. The Jews 
mull have been very rich, or the parliament very tyran¬ 
nical. 
Under Richard I. the prejudices of the populace were 
fet loofe againft the Jews, as noticed under the article 
.England, vol. vi. p. 576. The rnoft formidable explo¬ 
sion happened at Stamford-fair, which had drawn toge¬ 
ther great multitudes of people, and among them whole 
troops of roaming faints, who were preparing to go with 
the king to the Holy Land. Thefe zealous men, difdain- 
5 ng that the enemies of Chrifl: Ihould abound in wealth, 
while they, who were his great friends, were obliged to 
ftrip their wives and children of common neceffaries, to 
Supply the charges of the voyage, perfuaded themfelves, 
that God would be highly honoured, if they lliouid firlt 
w. 
cut the throats of the Jews, and then Seize upon their 
money : fo ready are men to believe what makes for their 
worldly advantage. Accordingly, they flew upon them, 
and, finding very little refinance from an opprefled and 
fpiritlefs enemy, quickly made themfelves mailers both of 
their perfons and fortunes; the former of which' they 
treated with all kinds of barbarity. Some few of them, 
indeed, were fo fortunate as to get Ihelter in the caftle ; 
whither, as they fled without their riches., the fource of 
all their mifery, they were not earneltly purfued. And, 
as thefe devout pilgrims pretended to do all this for the 
advancement of God’s glory, to (how they were in ear¬ 
ned, they took {hipping as fall as they could, and fled 
away for Jerufalem, not fo much as one of them being- 
detained by the magiftrates, or any enquiry being made 
by the king into fuch a fanCtified piece of villany. In¬ 
ternal trade mull at that time have been chiefly conduct¬ 
ed by the Jews, fince they were aflembled in fuch num¬ 
bers at an inland fair. They had probably, too, bellowed, 
’ere this, upon commerce, the important improvement of 
inventing bills of exchange, as mention feems to be made 
of them by the name of Jlarra (from the Hebrew fnctar) 
in certain Latin documents of this aera. The Jews were 
ftill admitted to the liberal profefiions, as the cruel edift 
of Richard I. foi; regiltering their property, orders that 
their “contracts Ihould be made in the prefence of two 
afligned lawyers who were Jews, two who were Chrillians, 
and two public notaries.” This king appointed juJHccrs 
of the Jews, whofe office it was to colleCt and pay into the 
Exchequer the taxes alielfed upon that unfortunate feCt. 
Benedict de Talemunt and Jofeph Aaron, were the two 
firlt of thefe juiticers. 
The intolerant policy of Richard I. occalioned the 
emigration of all the wealthier Jews, and a confequent 
defalcation of the revenue; which was fo fenfibly felt, 
that John, in 1199, ufed feveral arts to draw them back 
into his kingdom ; not only confirming their ancient, but 
offering new, privileges, and particularly that of naming 
a high-prielt by the title of Prefbyter Judaeorum. Many 
Jews upon this returned, and were afterwards more cru¬ 
elly plundered than ever. Our Great Charter fanCtions 
an injuftice to the Jews, by enabling, that, “If any per¬ 
fons have borrowed money of the Jews, more or lefs, and 
die before they have paid the debt, the debt fliall not grow 
whilll the heir is under age,” See. 
Henry III. liberated fuch Jews as were in prifon, or¬ 
dered them to be protected againft infults, and to wear 
upon the fore-part of their upper garment two broad 
ftripes of white linen or parchment. In this reign, Ste¬ 
phen Langton archbiihop of Canterbury, and Hugo de 
Villes bilhopof Lincoln, (in hopes to drive them away by 
want of fuftenance,) publilhed injunctions throughout 
their refpeCtive diocefes, That no Chriftian Ihould pre¬ 
fume to have communications with, or fell them any provi- 
fon, under pain of excommunication. And the fame 
feems to have been done by the bifliop of Norwich. Per¬ 
fons unacquainted with the nature of falfe zeal when 
backed by authority, will fcarcely believe, that the Jews 
would have been in any great danger of ftarving, though 
the king had not interpoled in this matter. Yet Rapin 
tells us, that when the Gerhardine heretics made their 
appearance, in the time of Henry II. and orders were 
given not to relieve them, the prohibition was' fo punctu¬ 
ally obferved, that all thole wretches miferably perilhed 
with hunger. 
Be it remembered, however, that the prior of Dunlla- 
ble, much about this time, granted to feveral Jews free 
liberty to relide within his lordlhip, and to enjoy all the 
privileges of it, in conlideration of the annual payment 
of two filver fpoons. 
During the funlhine of the king's favour (in 1230), 
the Jews erected a very ftately fynagogue in London, 
which furpafl'ed in magnificence the Chriftian churches. 
But the people petitioned the king to take it from them, 
.and have it corffecrated ; which accordingly he complied 
with, 
