Spain, and those parts of Italy that do belong to the King of Spain, viz. the kingdom of Naples, with the Province of Calabria and Apuleia; the kingdom of Sicilia and Sardinia; in which places if a jew be found, and he deny the Popish religion, he is in danger to be condemned and executed for it; and yet profit and benefit allureth them to dwell in those countries, notwithstanding their fears and dangers and themselves are willing to forget, and so neglect to teach their children their native language, rather than they will lose their opportunity of profit: and some have burnt the antient records of their tribe and family, that they might not be discovered by searching, or otherwise. And for this defect, that they could not prove their tribe or family, they were not permitted to come within the rail, but were commanded to remain without, with the strangers that remained there, to see the issue of their proceeding, which were above 3000 persons, and they were for the most part Germans, Almains, Dalmatians, and Hungarians, with some Greeks; but few Italians, and not one Englishman, that I could hear of, besides myself.

I was informed, that the King of Hungary not favouring the reformed religion, did give no encouragement to any protestant churches to send any divines thither; but he did allow that some assistants should be sent from Rome: and their coming thither did prove a great unhappiness to this hopeful council.

When the assembly did first meet, they spent some time in their mutual salutations; and, as their manner is, they kissed one the other's cheek, expressing much joy for their happy meeting. And all things being provided for their accomodation, they considered of the Jews that were to be admitted members of this council; and they were only allowed to be members, which could by re

cord prove themselves to be native jews; and for defect herein, I observed above five hundred refused! though doubtless they were trueborn jews, yet they could not by record prove themselves so to be; and for this they were not admitted to be members of the council, but they did abide without the rail with the strangers that were there and the number of them that were accepted to be members, was about three hundred jews. And this was all that was done the first day.

On the second day, the assembly being full, the propounder stood up, and made his speech concerning the end of their meeting :-And this, said he, is to examine the scriptures concerning Christ, whether he be already come, or whether we are yet to expect his coming? In examining this question, they searched the Old Testament with great care and labour, to be resolved of the truth thereof, having many bibles with them there for this end. And about this point there were great disputes amongst them. The major part were of opinion,-That he was not come: and some inclined to think that he was come; being moved thereunto by their great judgment, that hath continued now this sixteen hundred years upon them.

I remember very well one of the council, in his conference with me, seemed to be very apprehensive of the great and long desolation of their nation, ever since their destruc tion by the Roman Emperors; and he imputed this their affliction to their impenitency. And comparing their present judgment, with their other judgments they had suffered before, he ingenuously confessed, that he did conceive it was for some great wickedness; and that their nation was guilty of the blood of the prophets sent from God to their nation, and the many massacres that had been committed by the several sects and factions amongst them.

For (said he) we are no idolaters, neither do I think we were guilty of idolatry since our captivity in Babylon; and therefore (said he) I do impute this our calamity and present judgment to the fore-named causes. And this was the sum of that which was disputed amongst them the second day of their meeting; and so they adjourned till the next morning, which was the third day of their mecting.

When being assembled together again, the point that was chiefly agitated was concerning the manner of Christ's coming. And this, some said, shall be like a mighty Prince, in the full power and authority of a King, yea, in greater power than ever any King had; and that he will deliver their nation out of the power of their enemies, and their temple shall be rebuilt again; and, that the nations shall be of their religion, and worship God after their manner. For they hold, That the Messiah will not alter their religion, whensoever he cometh. And further, concerning his parentage, they did agree in this, that he should be born of a virgin, according to the prediction of the prophets; and they agreed also, that he may be born of such a virgin, which might be of mcan note amongst their nation, as was the Virgin Mary. And here some of them seemed to me, to incline to think that Christ was come. Therefore when they came together again the next day, the propounder demanded of them, if Christ were already come, and who they thought he was? And to this demand they gave this answer, that they thought Elijah was he, if he were come, because he came with great power, which he declared by slaying the priest of Baal; and, for the fulfilling of the scripture, he was oppressed by Ahab and Jezabel: yet they esteemed him to be more than a mortal man, because he so strangely ascended up into heaven. And be

cause this opinion, was contradicted by others, the day following they took into examination the same question, to answer them that said Elijah was not the Messiah. They of the contrary opinion did urge the care and love of Elijah for the good of their nation, in that he left them Elisha his disciple to teach and instruct the people; which they expect to be the care of their Messiah. These were the chief arguments they had to defend their opinion the same day, towards night, it came into question amongst them,-What he then was that said he was the Son of God, and was crucified by their ancestors? And because this was the great question amongst them, they deferred the further consideration thereof until the next day,

and

When meeting again, the Pharisees (for some of this sect were amongst them, that were always the enemics of Christ) they first began to answer this last night's question; and these by no means would yield that he was the Christ; and these reasons they gave for their opinion.

First, Because (said they) he came into the world like an ordinary and inferior man, not with his sceptre, nor royal power; wherewith they affirmed the coming of Christ should he glorious. Secondly, They pleaded against him the meanness of his birth, in that his father was a carpenter; and this they said, was a dishonour that Christ should not be capable of. Thirdly, They accused him to be an enemy to Moses's law, in suffering his disciples, and in doing works himself that were prohibited on the Sabbath day; for they believe that the Messiah will punctually and exactly keep the law of Moses; and where the gospel doth testify of Christ, that he did fulfil the law, they reject the testi mony thereof, because they do not own the gospel. But I observed these reasons of the Pharisees did not satisfy all that heard them, but

there still remained some doubt in some of them concerning Christ; for there stood up one Rabbie called Abraham, and objected against the Pharisees, the miracles that Christ wrought whilst he was upon earth, as his raising of the dead to life again, his making the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the dumb to speak. And the same Abraham demanded of the Pharisees, by what power he did these miracles? The answer the Pharisees returned to him, was to this purpose: They said he was an impostor and a magician; and blasphemously traduced him of doing all his miracles by magic Thus, said they, he first caused them to be blind, to be dumb, to be lame; and then by taking away his magical charm, they were restored to their former condition. Nevertheless, this answer gave little satisfaction to the said Abraham: but thus he replied, That he could not charm those that were born in that condition, as blind, &c. and born also before Christ himself was born; as it appeareth some of them were. This seemed to him an absurd paradox; and truly the pressing of this argument did almost put them to a nonplus, till at last they had this evasion, (though weak and vile,)---They were (said they) by other magicians convinced to be so in their mother's wombs; and that although himself were not then born when they were born with these evils, yet he being a great dissembler, and more cunning than any magician before him, power was given him by the devil, to remove those charms which others had placed. And there was one Pharisee named Zebedee, who of the Pharisees there did most opprobiously revile him, and vehemently urge these things against him; but I conceive he did it not to the well-liking of many there that heard him, even members of the council. And as

the Pharisees that day played their

VOL. IX.

parts against him; so did the Sadduces also endeavour (for some of that sect were also of the council) to render Christ vile and odious to the rest of the Jews that were as sembled there. I observed it was with them, as it was once with Herod and Pilate; though they two could not agree betwixt themselves at other times, yet they could agree together to crucify Christ: for the Pharisees and Sadduces, though they be much divided in opinion among themselves, yet did they at this time too much agree to digrace and to dishonour Christ with their lies, calumnies and blasphemies : for the Sadduces, as well as the Pharisees, did in other things accuse him for a grand impostor, and for a broacher of corrupt doctrine; in that in his gospel he teacheth the resurrection from the dead, which they there denied to be true doctrine but it is no new thing to see factions dissenting, to agree in some evil design against others, as I found it by experience. Being at Rome in the year 1650, which was the year of their jubilee, there was a great strife between the Jesuits and the Fryars of the Order of St Dominick, both which were against the Protestants; and although their differences have been by the care and vigilance of the Pope so smothered, that the world hath not taken much notice thereof, yet this fire broke out into a flame greater than ever it was before, (as they certified me there) both by public disputings, and by bitter writings one against another, opening the vices and errors of one another's faction, thus seeking to disgrace one the other; which caused the Pope to threaten to excommunicate the authors of all such black and libellous books, that did tend to the dishonour of his clergy and religion, to make them infamous to the world. But this by the way.

Y

We are come now to the seventh and last day of their council; and on this day, this was the main query amongst them: If Christ be come, then what rules and orders hath he left his church to walk by? This was a great question amongst them: and because they did not believe the New Testament, nor would be guided by it, they demanded some other instruction to direct and guide them in this point: thereupon six of the Roman clergy (who of purpose were sent from Rome by the Pope, to assist in this council) were called in, viz. two Jesuits, two Friars of the Order of St. Augustine, and two of the Order of St. Francis. And these being admitted into the council, began to open unto them the rules and doctrine of the Holy Church of Rome, (as they call it) which church they magnified to them for the holy catholic church of Christ, and their doctrine to be the infallible doctrine of Christ, and their rules to be the rules which the Apostles left to the church for ever to be observed, and that the Pope is the holy Vicar of Christ, and the successor of St. Peter and for instance in some particulars they affirmed the real presence of Christ in the sacrament, the religious observation of their holy days, the invocation of saints praying to the virgin Mary, and her commanding power in heaven over her Son, the holy use of the cross and images, with the rest of their idolatrous and superstitious worship; all which they commended to the assembly of the Jews, for the doctrine and rules of the Apostles. But so soon as the assembly had heard these things from them, they were generally and exceedingly troubled thereat, and fell into high clamours against them and their religion, crying out, no Christ, no woman-God, no intercession of saints, no worshipping of images, no praying to the Virgin Mary, &c. Truly their trouble hereat was so great, that it trou

bled me to see their impatience : they rent their clothes, and cast dust upon their heads, and cryed out aloud, blasphemy, blasphemy; and upon this the council broke up. Yet they assembled again the eighth day; and all that was done then, was to agree upon another meeting of their nation three years after; which was concluded upon before their final dissolution.

I do believe there were many Jews there that would have been persuaded to own the Lord Jesus; and this I assure you for a truth, and it is for the honour of our religion, and the encouragement of our divines: One eminent Rabbi there did deliver me his opinion in conference with me, that he at first feared that those which were sent from Rome, would cause an unhappy period to their council; and professed to me, that he much desired the presence of some Protestant divines, and especially of our English divines, of whom he had a better opinion, than of any other divines in the world: For he did believe that we have a great love to their nation; and this reason he gave me for their good opinion of our divines, because he understood that they did ordinarily pray for the conversion of their nation; which he did acknowledge to be a great token of our love towards them: And especially he commended the ministers of London for excellent preachers, and for their charity towards their nation; of whom he had heard a great fame. As for the church of Rome, they account it an idolatrous church, and therefore will not own their religion: and by conversing with the Jews, I found that they generally think, that there is no other christian religion in the world, but that of the church of Rome; and for Rome's idolatry, they take offence at all christian religion. By which it appeareth that Rome is the greatest enemy of the Jews conversion.

For the place of the Jews next meeting, it is probable it will be in Syria, in which country I also was, and did there converse with the sect of the Rechabites, living in Syria. They still observe their old customs and rules; they neither sow nor plant, nor build houses; but live in tents, and often remove from one

place to another, with their whole. family, bag and baggage. And seeing I find, that by the Italian tongue I can converse with the Jews, or any other nation, in all the parts of the world where I have been; if God give me an opportunity, I shall willingly attend their next council. The good Lord prosper it. it. Amen.

I lastly proceed from the no good it can do, to the manifest hurt it causes, in being first the greatest discouragement and affront that can be offered to learning, and to learned men. It was the complaint and lamentation of prelates, upon every least breath of a motion to remove pluralities, and distribute more equally church revenues, that then all learn ing would be for ever dashed and discouraged. But as for that opinion, I never found cause to think, that the tenth part of learning stood or fell with the clergy: nor could I ever but hold it for a sordid and unworthy speech of any churchman, who had competency left him. If therefore ye be loth to dishearten utterly and discontent, not the mercenary crew of false pretenders to learning, but the free and ingenuous sort of such as evidently were born to study and love learning for itself, not for lucre, or any other end, but the service of God and of truth, and perhaps that lasting fame and perpetuity of praise, which God and good men have consented shall be the reward of those, whose published labours advance the good of man

kind ; then know, that so far to distrust the judgment and the honesty

of one who hath but a common repute in learning, and never yet offended, as not to count him fit to print his mind without a tutor and examiner, lest he should drop a schism, or something of corruption, is the greatest displeasure and indignity to a free and knowing spirit, that can be put upon him. What advantage is it to be a man, over it is to be a boy at school, if we have only escaped the ferula, to come under the fescue of an imprimatur ? If serious and eleborate writings, as if they were no more than the theme of a grammar-lad under his pedagogue, must not be uttered without the cursory eyes of a temporizing and extemporizing licenser? He who is not trusted with his own actions, his drift not being known to be evil, and standing to the hazard of law and penalty, has no great argument to think himself reputed in the commonwealth wherein he was born for other than a fool or a foreigner. When a man writes to the world, he summons up all his reason and deliberation to assist him; he searches, meditates, is industrious, and likely consults and confers with his judicious friends; after all which done, he takes himself to be informed in