7. The twelfth century was was sufficiently discovered. Those fruitful in false Messiahs; for who had been deluded by him. about the year 1137, there appear-were grievously punished, and the ed one in France, who was put tonation condemned to a very heavy death, and many of those who fol- fine. lowed him.

8. In the year 1138 the Persians were disturbed with a Jew, who called himself the Messiah. He collected together a vast army. But he, too, was put to death, and his followers treated with great inhumanity.

9. In the year 1157, a false Messiah stirred up the Jews at Corduba, in Spain. The wiser and better sort looked upon him as a madman, but the great body of the Jews in that nation believed in him. On this occasion almost all the Jews in Spain were destroyed.

10. In the year 1167, another false Messiah rose in the kingdom of Fez, which brought great troubles and persecution upon the Jews that were scattered through that country.

12. Not long after this, a Jew, who dwelt beyond Euphrates,called himself the Messiah, and drew vast multitudes of people after him. He gave this for a sign of it, that he had been leprous, and was cured in the course of one night. He, like the rest, perished in the attempt, and brought great persecution on his countrymen.

13. In the year 1174, a magician and false Christ arose in Persia, who seduced many of the common people, and brought the Jews into great tribulation.

14. In the year 1176, another of these impostors arose in Moravia, who was called David Almusser. He pretended that he could make himself invisible; but he was soon taken, and put to death, and a heavy fine laid upon his brethren the Jews.

11. In the same year an Arabian 15. In the year 1199, a famous set up there for the Messiah, and cheat and rebel exerted himself in pretended to work miracles. When Persia, called David el David. He search was made for him, his fol- was a man of learning, a great lowers fled, and he was brought nagician, and pretended to be before the Arabian king. Being the Messiah. He raised an army questioned by him, he replied, against the king, but was taken that he was a prophet sent from and imprisoned; and, having made God. The king then asked him his escape, was afterwards seized what sign he could show to con- again, and beheaded. Vast numfirm his mission. Cut off my head.bers of the Jews were butchersaid he, and I will return to life ed for taking part with this imagain. The king took him at his postor. word, promising to belive him if his prediction came to pass. The poor wretch, however, never returned to life again, and the cheat

16. We are told of another false Christ in this same century by Maimonides and Solomon; but they take no notice either of his

cess.

name, country, or good or ill suc- the false Messiah Zabathai Tzevi, who made so great a noise, and Here we may observe that no gained such a number of proselytes. less than ten false Christs arose in He was born at Aleppo, imposed the twelfth century, and brought on the Jews for a considerable prodigious calamities and destruc-time; but afterwards, with a view

tion upon the Jews in various quarters of the world.

17. In the year 1497, we find another false Christ, whose name was Ismael Sophus, who deluded the Jews in Spain. He also perished, and as many as believed in him were dispersed.

of saving his life, turned Mahometan, and was at last beheaded. As the history of this impostor is more entertaining than that of those we have already mentioned, I will give it at some length.

The year 1666 was a year of great expectation, and some won18. In the year 1500, Rabbi derful things was looked for by Lemlem, a German Jew of Aus- many. This was a fit time for an tria, declared himself a forerun-impostor to set up; and, accordner of the Messiah, and pulled ingly, lying reports were carried down his own oven, promising his about. It was said, that great brethren that they should bake multitudes marched from un their bread in the Holy Land next year.

known parts to the remote deserts of Arabia, and they were supposed to be the ten tribes of Israel, who have been dispersed for many ages; that a ship was ar

19. In the year 1509, one whose name was Pfefferkorn, a Jew of Cologn, pretended to be the Messiah. He afterwards affected, how-rived in the north part of Scotland ever, to turn Christian.

20. In the year 1534, Rabbi Salomo Malcho, giving out that he was the Messiah, was burnt to death by Charles the Fifth of Spain.

with sails and cordage of silk; that the mariners spake nothing but Hebrew; that on the sails was this motto, The twelve Tribes of Israel. Thus were credulous men possessed at that time.

21. In the year 1615, a false Then it was that Sabatai Sevi Christ arose in the East Indies, appeared at Smyrna, and profesand was greatly followed by the sed himself to be the Messias. Portuguese Jews who are scat-He promised the Jews deliverance tered over that country. and a prosperous kingdom. This 22. In the year 1624, another which he promised they firmly bein the Low Countries pretended lieved. The Jews now attended to be the Messiah of the family to no business, discoursed of noof David, and of the line of Na-thing but their return, and believed than. He promised to destroy Sabatai to be the Messias as firmRome, and to overthrow the king-ly as we Christians believe any ardom of Antichrist, and the Turk-ticle of faith. A right reverend ish empire. person, then in Turkey, meeting 23. In the year 1666 appeared with a Jew of his acquaintance at VOL. II.

Aleppo, he asked him what he thought of Sabatai. The Jew replied, that he believed him to be the Messias; and that he was so far of that belief, that, if he should prove an impostor, he would then turn Christian. It is fit we should be particular in this relation, because the history is so very surprising and remarkable; and we have the account of it, from those who were then in Turkey.

devotions and alms. The noise of this Messias began to fill all places. Sabatai now resolves for Smyrna, and then for Constantinople. Nathan writes to him from Damascus, and thus he begins his letter: " To the king, our king, lord of lords, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, who redeems our captivity, the man elevated to the height of all sublimity, the Messias of the God of Jacob, the true Messias, the celestial Lion, Sabatai Sevi."

And now, throughout Turkey, the Jews were in great expectation of glorious times. They now were devout and penitent, that they might not obstruct the good which they hoped for.

Sabatai Sevi was the son of Mordecai Sevi, a mean Jew of Smyrna. Sabatai was very bookish, and arrived to great skill in the Hebrew learning. He was the author of a new doctrine, and for it was expelled the city. He went thence to Salonichi, of old called Thessalonica, where he married Some fasted so long, that they a very handsome woman, and was were famished to death; others divorced from her. Then he tra- buried themselves in the earth till velled into the Morea, then to their limbs grew stiff; some would Tripoli, Gaza, and Jerusalem. By endure melting wax dropped on the way he picked up a third wife. their flesh; some rolled in snow At Jerusalem he began to reform others, in a cold season, would put the Jews' constitutions, and abo-themselves into cold water; and lish one of their solemn fasts, and many whipped themselves. Busicommunicated his designs of pro-ness was laid aside; superfluities fessing himself the Messias to one of household utensils were sold; Nathan. He was pleased with it, the poor were provided for by and set up for his Elias, or fore-immense contributions. Sabatai runner, and took upon him to comes to Smyrna, where he was abolish all the Jewish fasts, as not adored by the people, though the beseeming, when the bridegroom Chacham contradicted him, for was now come. Nathan prophe- which he was removed from his sies that the Messias should ap- office. There he in writing styles pear before the Grand Seignior in himself the only and first-born Son less than two years, and take from of God, the Messias, the Saviour him his crown, and lead him in of Israel. And though he met with chains. some opposition, yet he prevailed At Gaza, Sabatai preached re-there at last to that degree, that pentance, together with a faith in some of his followers prophesied, himself, so effectually, that the and fell into stranger ecstacies: people gave themselves up to their four hundred men and women

dom; and young infants, who could hardly speak, would plainly pronounce Sabatai, Messias, and Son of God. The people were for a time possessed, and voices heard from their bowels: some fell into trances, foamed at the mouth, recounted their future prosperity, their visions of the Lion of Judah, and the triumphs of Sabatai. All which, says the relater, were certainly true, being effects of diabolical delusions, as the Jews themselves have since confessed.

prophesied of his growing king-did swear it also; and this was presently believed by the Jews of that city. He that did not now believe him to be the Messias was to be shunned as an excommunicated person. The impostor now declares that he was called of God to see Constantinople, where he had much to do. He ships himself, to that end, in a Turkish saick, in January, 1666. He had a long and troublesome voyage; he had not power over the sea and winds. The Visier, upon the news, sends for him, and confines him in a loathsome prison. The Jews pay him their visits; and they of this city are as infatuated as those of Smyrna. They forbid traffic, and refuse to pay their debts. Some of our English merchants, not knowing how to recover their debts from the Jews, took this occasion to visit Sabatai, and make their complaints to him against his subjects; whereupon he wrote the following letter to the Jews:

Now the impostor swells and assumes. Whereas the Jews, in their synagogues, were wont to pray for the Grand Seignior, he orders those prayers to be foreborn for the future, thinking it an indecent thing to pray for him who was shortly to be his captive; and, instead of praying for the Turkish emperor, he appoints prayers for himself. He also elected princes to govern the Jews in their march towards the Holy Land, and to minister justice to them when they should be possessed of it. These princes were men well known in the city of Smyrna at that time. The people were now pressing to see some miracle to confirm their faith, and to convince the Gentiles. Here the impostor was puzzled, though any juggling trick would have served their turn. But the credulous people supplied this defect. When Sabatai was before the Cadi (or justice of peace), some affirmed they saw a pillar of fire between him and the Cadi; and after some had affirmed it, others were ready to swear it, and

"To you of the nation of the Jews, who expect the appearance of the Messias, and the salvation of Israel, peace, without end. Whereas we are informed that you are indebted to several of the English nation, it seemeth right unto us to order you to make satisfaction to these your just debts; which if you refuse to do, and not obey us herein, know you that then you are not to enter with us into our joys and dominions."

Sabatai remained a prisoner in Constantinople for the space of two months. The Grand Visier, designing for Candia, thought it not safe to leave him in the city