Tvvo epistles vnto great men of Britanie, in the yeare 1599 Requesting them to put their neckes unto the work of theyr Lord: to break the bread of the soule unto the hungry Iewes, by theyr writinges, or by theyr charges, through such as be ready to declare all that theyr necessity doth require. Printed now the second time, in the yeare synce the creation of the world 5532. Or yeare of the Lord 1606. Translated by the auctour for the use of such as would & should know what in this cause ought to be performed.

To the christian Reader.

FOr better understanding of this Turky cause, a narratiō of the whole matter may be added. There was one M. Ed. Barton made the Quenes Agent at Constan∣tina, called Byzantium▪ before Constantin our glory, ha∣ting the Idoles of old Rome, removed the Empire seat thither, & called it Constantines city, & new Rome. This Agent ther being a special wise man grew in great favour with the great Turk: whose mother, as report is, was a Iew. Also he fell into ac∣quaintance with the chief Rabine▪ of the Iewes Synagoge: to whom he had expounded the book of Scripture consent: as the Iew himself in effect recordeth: & greatly moved him to affect Christianes. Now L. Barton, the Rabbin, & the Iewess Quene mother, all three dealt with the Turk to consider that all Turkes perish for ever: & how un∣naturall a thing it was for a Father to have his Funerall celebrated with the death of an exceeding great troupe of Sonnes: and told how Christianity were better: & by peace with the Emperour & change of countreys, his sonnes might be amonge Christianes, & theyr Prin∣ces sonnes wold gladly dwell in his territories. The Turk began to consult how his owne side could be brought to that. Then L. Barton gave him this intelligence: that ther was one in England: who from a child had night & day studied the Ebrew Bible with all Iudaique Hebrewes: & the Grek holy Testament Equally, expounding the tō∣gue & matter of the old Testamēt, with all kindes of Greke auctours: which in the university he professed, after one yeres abode there. For he was of his acquaintance, & knew all his affayres. Then he bad

••••nd for him: & he should teach in Ebrew or Greke, in what Church ••e wold in Byzantio: with safe garde, & all countenance: that by Iewes & Grekes assent, the Genisares might come to theyr Parentes faith, & be glad to live for a better hope. All Germanie knew, ••hat in the Turkes court strange alteration was: & he suffred Buda ••nvictualed three dayes: that it might have ben taken: but that our Generall stayed to have the Duk Mathias to come thither to have ••hat glory: But before his coming it was victualled. This & L. Bar∣••ons auctority as Mardochais Germanie knew. Novv to allure the Christian thither the learned Ievv is set on. He shevveth him self ••o be as learned a Rabbin as any in the world. Cōstantinopole Iewes ••ccused by Chrisostome very wisely from Dan. 12. by sundry very learned narrations, that therin God reckoning the very dayes of An¦••iochus rage, as for the 400. yeres affliction Gen. 15. & for the 70. in Babylon Ieremy 25. wold not suffre them voyd of time limited in ••urther affliction from God, those Byzantian Ievves styl provided for the chief city, a chief Rabbin: as for Ierusalem & Nehardeah, in Mesopotamia upon Euphrates. Th••se three places have the chief Rabbines in the world. And he of Constantinopole shevved him ••elf such. He writeth an Epistle full of Rabbish elegancy. And with more reverence then any Ievv might give a Christian, that forsoke ••ot his ovvne side. For they have a Canon, that, none seke Physik of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Christian for body or soule, in Maymony. The sum of his letter was, ••hat the party wold come to Byzantian Rome, to bestovv his Ebrevv ••tudies among Ebrevves: & not live wher none knevv theyr use. He should be a Ietro to the Ievves, in theyr wildernes. And he should ••ule all Divinity scholes ther. It had ben death to him to have writ∣••en so unless the Turk bade him: and the Ievves in all places had sone ••en his accusers. This Epistle was sent to England, as a litle booke: to ••ALD. STAPERS, by L. Barton, writing that yf the party came to Constantinopolin it might turne to the good of Christendome. These fevv wordes might tell all not Atheā by envy, what the matter was. The LL. savv it: & none of theyr scholers could read it, as it hath strange writing, & a style most strange. Archb. wh. bade that it

should be sent to me. I was then at Basil. I left England, being per∣secuted for sayng, that Barovv & Greenvvood wer pardon for all, as they were, but for denying that our L. went to Hel. And the very Iesuites of Mentz in a Grek letter to my self say: the Church never be¦leeued that our L. went to worse lodge then the Fathes had. All li∣ving are superi, all dead inferi: and against Epicures we confess our L. went to inferos, the soules departed. Before execution of Barovv & greenvvood tvvo dayes B. Elmer requested a chaplein of N. N. to request me from him, to talk with the tvvo bent to die: saying, as sure as I live, yf he talk with them, he will save theyr life. The Chaplein promised to move me, but did not. Othervvise he had re∣quested me by an other. But the Chaplein had rather tvvo should dye: then N. should be detected, what imprisonment & coile his Gehē∣na kindled: as his slime still rageth in the same badnes & madnes, vvishing as Nero that all might be kild at a blovv that is not of theyr heresie. To be revenged of him, requesting leave of my L. keper, I went over sea, & at Midelburg I printed of the Kinges Right: & of the Grek Credes phrase: that by Heathen, 70. Apostles, or Thalmu∣dizing Greke, it never meant more or less in writers of esteeme, then to go hence to God. And that in the Godly it was all one with this: to ascend into Paradise. From Middelburg I went to Helvetia for this cause. An Helvetian told me ther, that the Pope had sent one D. Pi∣storius to dispute, that the Scripture was corrupt: & therfore the Church must iudge: & yf our halfe wold not yeld to that: he wold for∣tify his side to fell ours. The Helvetian told me, that foyling him I should hinder warres. I went thither: he provoked me, upon occasion of spech, being at Fribourge, when I was in Basil 20. miles off. I wrote to him in Grek wherin he gloried: how he was led amisse. He three dayes after commēded my poore studies most highly to our Tigurines: who sent me his letter: but in the end, he wrot in Greke, he wold not dispute. That was shewed to the Popes Captaines: then they sayd: so our cōmissiō for war cesseth: seing the Popes D. is broken. A learned man Lodovicus Lucius will testify and sweare this: & the LL. of Ber¦ne, Zurick, & Basil offred all sufficient: hut I told I was bent to an o∣ther. This was my basil voiage wher I printed the two Eb. Epistles.

Finis.