·Chap. III. 7be HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs. 4-73 words; becauje it was not only common6• objer~·ed, but there remaim ~vith us Ol iver f. ,f ' h ·"r; · l b j' d Jifi d · "' ProteCtor. fomew'Jat 0; proqj, t at JIJ!.li!S ~ave een owz among at contente . partres0 1654 . this nation, who are obferved to quarrel, andfall out w1th every form ofad-~minijtration in church andjtate. The protector gave notice of the likeCompl.HiH. kind to the republicans, .fifth monarchy men, level/e~s, and to the p~esbyte- ~;a~~is~. m rians, that they fhould Hand upon the fame foot wtth the royal1fts, 111 cafe of any future delinquencies. Such was the protector's latitude that he was for indulging theJe~vs, He isjOr mh · · d c l'b f h · 1' · d c · d · couragzng tlu w o pet!ttone 10r 1 erty o t e•r re 1g1on , an 10r carrvwg on a tra em. London. Mana!Jeh B en Jfrael one of their chief rabbi's, with fomeJcws. others, came from Amjterdam to Whitehall for t his purpo ie, whom the protetl:or treated with refpect:, and fummo ned an aiTembly of divines, lawyers, and merchants, to confult upon the afl:tir: the divines were to confider it as a cafe of confcience; the lawyers to report how far it was confiflent with the laws of England; and the merchants, whether it was for the advantage of trade and commerce. Bifhop Burnet apprehends, that the protetl:or defigned the je1vs for fpies in the feveral nations of Europe; however, he was of opinion, that their admiffi.on under cet·tain limitations might be for the advantage of commerce; and told the divines, that fince there was a promife in holy fcripture of the converfion of the Jews, he did not know but the preaching of the chriflian religion, as it was then in England, without idolatry or fuperil:ition, might conduce to it. But the af ... fembly not agreeing in their opinions, the affair was dropt, and the petitioners returned to Holland, where Manq/feh Ben Ifrael writ a handfome letter now before me, which he calls an arifwer to certain quiftions propounded by a noble and learned gentleman, touching the reproaches cajt upon the nation qf the jews, ~vherein all objections are candidly and fully fiated. The famous Mr. Prynne and Mr. Dury a prefbyterian minifter writ fiercely againft the admiffion of the Jews; but other divines whom the protector confulted, were for admitting them with fame limitations. I fhall report their refolution on this point in their own language. ~eftion, Whether the jews, at their dejire, may be admitted into this nation to trqfjick and dwell among us, as providence jhall give oc– cqfion. The anfwer of thofe who were againft it, was, that they could not think it lawful, for the following reafons. I. " Be~aufe the motives on which M ana.Jfeh Ben Jfrael, in his book Arguments " lately pnnted, defires their admiffion into this commonwealth, are [uchfor and . " as we conceive, to be very linful. agaz'!Jlzt. VoL. II. pp p g, "The
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