AN epistle of an Ebrew most plentifully Lerned in all Rabbin skill, (right honorable) came vnto myne handes a feuv dayes agoe: after that it had bene in England, and sene of your grace, my L. archb. and some others of your Lordshippes. The right vsage of the matter conteyned therin, as the ambassadours letters vuill shew you, what he iudgeth, may turne to the good of all Christendome. The matter being of so weighty im­portance, it toucheth her maiesty, to take care, how to dea­le in princely Lerned wisdome, throughly for this case: that all Christendome may see as much done for the comon good, as the care and skill off man can afforde. Your hono­ures shall see in the letter two poinctes of request: the one touching the countenance and Charges of the Quene to send a scholer requested, to rule all the scholes of diuinity in Constantinople. This argueth some conference with the emperour for leaue And he should be first of high aucto­rity at home, that should do this abroad, to the Quenes ho­nour. The other poinct of request standeth, for performan­ce, vpon a scholers Lerning: all Ebrew skill for the ton­gue, & massorites, for comparing with clear declaration, the prophetes and apostles: and for awnswear to all the groun­des & branches of the Iewes cabala, & traditiones, how it fayleth: and what in theyr studies can be allowed. Here a Lerned awnswearer will vndertake by sure grammer and reason to such a plain hart as he beareth, to make Mo­ses, the prophetes, the Gospel and epistles to be as harpers fo­lowing the Lambe on mount Sion: and will proue all places of Scripture for this concent from the purest and best Rab­bines, taught from ancienter writers then are of theyr apo­stasy: [Page] and will shew touching all theyr fables, trough theyr Bible, how for memory of phrases or stories they were invented: as that: Abakuk brought Daniel a messe of Pottage. wheras the sentence written in great letters THE IVST SHAL LIVE BY FAITH, this for two poinctes: Iustice chalenged of Daniel to haue stopped the Liones mouth: and fayth, told by the king of him, made the saing of the amiable prophet to be the messe of potage to him that allways maketh God the iud­ge. The demaund of the constantinopolitane Rabbin Lap­peth in it a discourse and declaration for all these poinctes: in any of which he that fayleth shall be are small sway with Iewes who will require to mete with better Lerned then them selues before they change religion. Hither of ordinary course, will be long a Censure of the Greke Septuagint: what they alterd to avoyd disgrace from heathen: where they missed of vnskil­fulnes, or vnhediness: where the Characters deceaued theyr eisight, that a peece of a letter made a new Greke terme: how Bibles vnwowelled caused them sometme of purpose to put one word for an other, oftener of errour: how in some of all these poinctes the hoy ghost that cannot misse, maks the Apostles to beare with the worldes weakenes: requiring he­rein as much ebrew ksill against Grekes, as Ebrewes call for, against them selues. wherin yf Grekes be not overmatched, whose erroures haue marred all religion, they most hinder all the good that should come to Christianity. These be two chief poinctes of the letter: which doe require a directe awnswear: and wherupon standeth all the hope of doing good, to the east part: that they Lerning religion from vs in the endes of the earth, may bend all theyr force, to recompence vs, with all good. And these poinctes were conteyned, in the end of the prose, in his letter: Certen verses of à sonnet are the last end of an harty affection, shewing an infinite desire to ha­ue the trueth of Saluation opened from England, whēce, as he is persuaded that may best be afforded. To win soules good, [Page] which he so greatly desireth, not to win a sacrifice, or a cow, as Homer speaketh, nor yet running, as Achilles, for the life of Hector, but running for the soules off all the wandrnig Iewes, that they may be gathered into the shepefold of Christ. He greatly extolleth the knowledge of diuinty in England, a congregation of vnderstanding, & of all variety of wisdome, where Children are aboue all hope multi­plied, that with astonishment it may be sayd from Esay, who hath begothen these to me Herein he breaketh out into reioycing that from the endes of the earth songes are hard, tzeby le tzaddik, the iust hath ho­nour. In this, the plain dealing hart greatly reioyced, with a style lerned, from scriptures holy termes, not of so familiar te­nour in the vulgar phrase of nationes. But in sage estimation his speches wilbe perles afore any but hogges. After this entrā ­ce to allure recompence for his most humble good will, which any wilbe willing to recompence, that know by theyr owne feeling what hope of salvation is, he entreth in political sort to Shew the groundes of his petition, vpon what hope of pro­messe he opened his desire in this Zealous maner, & thirsty care, to drink of the waters of life, & sheweth that M. Ed­ward (as he writeth him) Barton, gaue him all his hope: from whose mouth he was stirred vp. Him he termeth in most ho­norable termes, Atzir, that is messinger, faithfull to them that send him: the mediatour of peace, the Lord & Tiphsar. By that terme Nahum nameth the high officers of Nineveh. The same consonantes make Satrap, the Lieutenantes of Per­sias title. Of him he sayth, that he assured him how for bright▪ clearnes in the Scriptures he should be fully satisfied for any question touching Scripture, of the Trinity or the other noble treasures of wisdome the armes of the world. And vpon his wordes he concludeth, that the gate of English Scholers being Such, the hart must be more estēed. He hath further prayse of the Ambassadours worthines: & slideth thence vn [Page] to the Quenes maiesties commēdation. for which her highnes, as a defendour of the faith, in his expectation, will afford him confort & help, for the good of strengthening in Christianity, both him & all of his desire. Of her highnes he speaketh Elo­quentely in Ebrew termes, picked as Iewels from the brauery of ancient states: yet not base in our language thus: Is not she the mighty amonge the nationes: à princess amonge the countreyes, the only quene of this world: Eliza­betah, the perfect amonge the perfect, the terrible as cāpes. It is knowen in the gates of the nationes, when they see her, that she is the princesse, the crowne, the honour, the diademe the overruler of the knigdome of the Romanes. Esaw or Edom the Rabbines generally in theyr commentaries put for Rome. And that she hath in her kingdom the skilfull in all knowledge, for the siluer and gold of it: as in the golden Candelstick, for the vse of it: the generalles, the particulares, the knoppes, the bowles, and the floures, And he pray­eth hartely that the Eternal king wold strength her kingdome, with mighty influēce as was vpon syr Fran­cys Draco, a roaring lion against the sauage beare that shaketh the earth, & quakech the nationes. Other matters which greatly touch the Quenes honour, & your G. my Lord Arch. to regard, are in the epistle: for which lam not of place to giue any intelligence to her sacred maiesty, nor direction. Your grace in a matter of this great weight, as her highnes honours regard should be, will not neglect to send a messinger to Basil, to haue a copy of the Epistle. As for the letter, I hope it is my right, and that I may kepe it for a Iewell, as M. Beza doth his Moses of manifold languages in Ebrew character: which were in England, but required home: of which he wrote to me to Basil, that he wold lend me them to further the translation of the Bible, with entreating me not to leaue, or geue ouer, for no crossing of hinderance: [Page] But he will not let them goe, out of this countrey. So your g. shall haue with all my most humble duty, a copy of this epistle, for the Q. honour and speches touching her: but M. Bezaes Book of two volumes is not a dearer [...] (so he wri­teth) to him, then this epistle is to me. And I wold not willin­gly haue it out of myne ownek eping. Touching the awnsweare vnto the Lerned Rabbi, which should be in his owne ton­gue, and as eloquent as his owne style, and from London whe­ther he endorced his epistle: the Ambassadour at Byzantium his lettre to M. Stapers tellinge that this may turne to the go­od of all Christendome, hath I hope kindled in your zealous wisdome, a through care: that no contempt of furtherance in this cause, make the nationes about think the occasion of­fred vnto you, and neglected, to haue bene the extreme hin­derance & blemish of Christian hope for bettering through the world. Therfore modesty forbiddeth me to chalenge any supertority of zeale, as once to turne my penne to exhorta­tion, and stirring vp. And this I write not of myne owne de­sire: but to satisfie such as wold otherwise think, that I should, awnswear the Iew: because he writeth vnto me. But as the Lady of Persia kneled to Hephestio, meaning a supplication to Alexander: So the Iew reverencing me, looketh for an awnswear which the whole state will allow. Now, nether modesty, nor policy suffreth to warre in this combat, wi­thout the Q. coutenance, preferment, & allowance Whe­ras the Iew inviteth into triall of lerning: yf the Q. will, all Christendome shall iudge, whether wilbe found the rea­dier in the prophetes language: & controlment of Rab­bines. Doubtles, he must be awnsweared. When others refu­se I am ready, after due recompence, to write, and to goe: Leauing, as Aristides, particular inuries, for the generall good.