HISTORY OF THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. CONCLUDED FROM PAGE 745 gladly divide with us the public burdens: That a great portion of the funds be longing to foreign Jews, it was our obvious intereft to induce them to follow their property, and to expend here an income which was yearly exported to a clear lofs That, connected as the Jews were with the great bankers, and monied interest of Europe, their refidence here would, in future wars, give us a great command of capital, and facilitate our loansos That even their prejudices, as a fect, would operate in our favour, and occafion our manufac tures to be difperfed among the multitudinous Jew fhopkeepers in Europe, who now recurred to the Jew merchants of Holland, and the other tolerant coun tries: That Poland had never rifen to fo high a pitch of civil, literary, and commercial distinction as when her pulicy was moft liberal toward Socinians and Jews; and that the fect itself had always abandoned its offenfive preju dices in proportion to its good ufage, THE church of England, jealous to a participation of our civil rights, from its infancy, had obtained, in the they would contract a warm attachment feventh year of James I. an act, which to our conftitution and country, and prevented all perfons from being naturalized, unless they first received the fa. crament of the Lord's fupper, according to its own peculiar and exception able mode of commemoration. This act effectually excluded the Jews from being naturalized'; till, in the year 1753, a bill was brought into the houfe of Lords, and paffed there without oppo fition, which provided, that all perfons profeffing the Jewish religion, who have refided in Great Britain or Ire land for three years, without being abfent more than three months at one time during that fpace, may, upon ap plication for that purpofe, be naturalized by Parliament, without receiving the facrament of the Lord's fupper. But all perfons profeffing the Jewish religion are, by this act, difabled from purchafing, or inheriting any advowfon, right of patronage, &c. to any benefice or ecclefiaf tical promotion, fchool, hofpital, or donative whatfoever. On the 16th of April, this bill was fent down to the Houfe of Commons, ordered to be On the other fide it was urged, That, printed, and on the 7th of May read a born as we are to privileges and exclufecond time, when a motion was made five rights, we did not, by this bill, for its being committed. Lord Bar- fell our birth-right, like Efau, for any rington, Lord Daplin, Robert Nugent, confideration, however inadequate ; but Efq; and Henry Pelham, Efq; were a- foolishly gave it away: That if the mcng its moft eloquent advocates; Jews, about to be naturalized, belonged Lord Egmont, Sir Edmund Ifham, to the numerous claffes, we thould imamong its more zealous opponents. port vagrants and cheats to burden our The bill was fupported by the petitions of a few merchants, chiefly diffidents, and countenanced by the miniftry, who argued : That it would increase the numbers and wealth of the people, upon which depend the national strength, the ability to encounter future difficulties, and atchieve useful undertakings-and by which pofterity would eftimate the wifdom and utility of our frame of govern-ment: That, by receiving the Jews into our community, and admitting them rates, or fupplant the industry of - our lefs parfimonious poor if to the wealthy claffes, who cannot procure a fettlement elsewhere, they would become the highest bidders for our landed estates, difpoffefs the Chriftian owners, attract around them their butchers, bakers, and poulterers (for they can eat nothing of our killing) and, bye and bye, would endanger our religion itfeif: That the rites of the Jews will for ever resist their incorporation with other nations, for any common purpofes, while their early mar marriages and frequent divorces promote moft who fpoke in favour of the repeal: fo rapid an increase of their numbers, he was answered, with much force of that they might become, like the bitch reasoning, and a truly liberal fpirit, by in the kennel, too strong for their hof Thomas Potter, Efq; to whofe fpeech pitable patrons: That it had a ten- a very elegant reply was delivered by dency to embroil us with foreign powers, Sir George Littleton: and the Jew bill because we must reclaim, for inftance, was repealed, by an act which received every Portuguese Jew, who may have the royal affent the fame feffion. Atcome over to be naturalized, and, by in- tempts too were made, but fuccessfully a difcretions, expose himself to the inqui- oppofed by Mr Plham and Mr Pitt, fition: That the Jews were not given to repeal so much of an act for naturato manufactures, and, if they should o- lizing foreigners in Americ, as did not spen fhops, would interfere with the exclude Jews. Such was the spirit of profits and maintenance of Chriftians; intolerance which the parliamentary for the number of fhops being adequate leaders of the people were not ashamed to the confumption, could only be in to fofter. From that time, the legal concreafed with injury to them established: dition of Jews in England has not been That Jewish nationality would intrigue altered: but the people no longer view all the trade into their own hands: That them with rancour, or mistrust, or unthey were enemies upon principle to all brotherly emotions. Chriftians: And that it was flying in the face of the Almighty to gather together a fect, of which the bible foretold the difperfion. The trumpet of alarm was first found ed by the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons of the city of London, who, in a petition to Parliament, expreffed their apprehenfion, that the bill, if passed into a law, would tend greatly to the difhonour of the Chriftian religion, and endanger the excellent conflitution. The Jews have been fingularly unfor tunate. They shared the oppreffion and contumely, which the Chriftian fects underwent, as foon as the jealoufy of the Pagan priests and emperors was excited by the progress of their monotheifm: but they in no degree partook of the fecurity or triumphs conquered for the church by Conftantine. Their incredulity was confidered by orthodox and heretics as of all others the most criminal, nor was it till after the Ma The Earl of Egmont became their homedan conquefts, that they obtained, mouth-piece; who, in an artful fpeech, in part of Afia, along the fouthern countenanced and inflamed the ungene- fhores of the Mediterranean, and in rous bigotry of the multitude. The Spain, a refting place for their feet. English have always enjoyed a cry of In modern Italy, the earlieft hannt alarm, when there is no real danger; of reviving literature and philofophy, because it enhances, for the time, the the first attempts were made to prepare perfonal importance of each individual. the European mind for the toleration of It flatters his love of confequence to be Judaifm. Simone Lazzurato, of Vecalled upon to ftand up for his church nice, is mentioned as a pleader of their and king, when he is not likely to be caufe. The friends of the Socini were exposed to the ruffle of conteft, or the humiliation of defeat. Accordingly a zeal, the most furious, was vociferated in the pulpits and corporations against the bill, and, by the next feflions of parliament, inftructions were fent to almoft all the members to folicit a repeal of it. The minifter did not attempt to refift the torrent, but was among the fore VOL. LVIII. thought to entertain fentiments very favourable to the Jews; but the interfe rence of the inquifition in 1546, to fupprefs the celebrated club of Vicenza, an event preparatory to the exile and difperfion of all the rational Chriftians of Italy, defrauded them of rifing advo cates. In the feveral Italian republics, the Jews enjoyed only a contemptuous 5 Z pro protection. Their fate was fomewhat the more impreffive publicity. Among his most distinguished coadjutors in obtaining a legal improvement of their condition, the conftituting affembly of France numbered Mirabeau, ClermontTonnere, and Rabaud. more favourable in Poland, and much more favourable in Holland, where Bafnage, and, no doubt, others, wrote of them becomingly. ed conduct of the English government, under the Protectorate of Cromwell, and under the adminiftration of Mr Pelham, were alike defeated by the fanaticifm of the people. Mr Toland's naturalization of the Jews in England, is the best antidote of elder date that has defcended to us. Tovey and Ockley have alfo stored up information on thefe topics. In Germany, Gotthold Ephraim Leffing, a celebrated dramatist, by his In our own country, the well-intendphilofophical plays, Nathan the Wife, and the Monk of Lebanon, attacked the prejudice against Judaifm in its fortrefs, the public mind; while his friend, Mofes Mendel olm, was illuftrating the fect, both by his elegant writings and by a well argued Defence of general toleration, published under the title Jerufalem. C. W. Dohm, a Pruffian, offer ed, in 1781, to the German public, two fmall volumes of Remarks on the Means of Improving the Civil Condition of the Jews, which called forth feveral pamphlets on the fame topic, among which thofe of Schlotzer and Michaelis, no doubt, deserve confultation. In France, the prejudices of Voltaire against the Jewish religion, proved a powerful obftacle to the advances of the philofophic party, in an equitable difpofition towards its profeffors. In 1788, however, the academy of Metz propofed as a prize queftion: Are there means of rendering the Jews in France ufefuler and happier? Zalkind Hourwitz, a Polifh Jew, M. Thierry, a counsellor of Nanci, and the Abbe Gregoire, fhared the prize, but not the public fuffrage. The work of the latter, on the moral, phyfical, and political regeneration of the Jews, has obtained ཝཱ Of late, Priestley's Letters to the Jews, a work which, probably, under the mask of purfuing their conversion, had for its object to do away the ungrateful prejudices. of religionists against their parent-fect, has rendered to them, in the devout world, the fame fervice as Cumberland's comedy of the Jew in the polifhed. There can fcarcely remain any apprehenfion among thinking men, that the flighteft popular odium would now be incurred by the legislature, if it repealed every law which encroaches upon the political equality of this and other fects. It may not, however, have been amifs to bring within a small compafs, fuch particulars of the fortunes of this people in our ifland, and fuch notices of the writings in their behalf, as may be likelieft to invite attention, whenever a reformed and reforming legiflature fhall confider of their condition. ON ATTENTION TO CLEANLINESS, AND THE PROPRIETY 41 OF INNOCULATION. (CONCLUDED FROM PAGE 756.) BUT even, confiftent with the doc. iftence in liberal minds. That the trine of neceffity, no danger can refult from employing the practice of innoculation, fince the period of death is fixed, to obviate which nothing in our power can operate." It is anfwered to this obfervation- grand chain of Providential events fhould be unlinked and twisted into an interpofition, either to extend or to shorten the life of a mortal being, which circumftance is, to the Deity, a matter of minute importance, and all this to favour a matter of fpeculative opinion, is certainly an impious idea. Moreover, the the answer is inconfiftent, in as much occur, that it will be revered and mo as it concludes the period of death not to be fixed. dified in men's minds, according to But to return-what is not apparent to intuition, fhould be taught by inquiry; if their idea of a Providence be a chain of events permanently established, to obstruct that which is permanent is furely a ftrange incongruity of thought; more over, as the idea of a Providence cannot exist, without a concurring belief of a Great Being who established that providence, to fpeak of tempting Providence, is to clothe the Diety with the frailties, and some of the vices of human nature. An intervention of Providence is evinced to mankind, by the wholefome effects of innoculation; it exibits one of thofe great fecond causes, whereby God manifefts his parental tus) is to follow nature, to connect and care in the government of the univerfe. "A mother may forget her fucking child, but the Lord will not forget the work of his hands." Will the fragment that is mouldering from the precipice be arrested in its fall, till it alight upon a guilty head, or will the light ning's dart felect a victim for its fury? This indeed would evince a divine interpofition, because it would fufpend two irreversible laws of nature, even to imagine which, no mortal has a fhadow of right. When fome neglected fabrick nods be neath mutually adopt the exertion of the active powers, to the appearance of what is fit and beneficial." If, in the progrefs of chemical fcience, any procefs fhould be difcovered for converting a most incombuftible stone, into a cheap and perfect fuel; (a circumitance very far within the limits of poffibility), what would be faid of men that would reject that fuel in a country where no other could be found, because it was procured by the intervention of human means. Is innoculation then to be rejected, because it is an effort of human ingenuity? It may be afferted as a phyfical axiom, that where there appears any diffimilarity in the taste or flavour of the fruit or flowers of any two plants, the ftructure of thefe plants will alfo be diffimilar; becaufe, if nourished in the fame medium, there can be but one fet of principles to act and upon, difevery ference that arifes, muft proceed from different vegetable powers attracting par ticular elements in different combinations, juft as tints are multiplied, almost to infinity and beautifully variable, by combinations of the feven primeval colours variously selected; now, the taste of fruits, and the odour of plants, are varied almoft to infinity, and this befpeaks infinite intelligence-but we do never reflect, that 522 this this multiplication hath been accomplish- approbation of prejudice or fashion." ed in very many inftances by human This is very true; but upon due inquiry means. Doth the epicure, when he into the merits of this operation, foundpraiseth the flavour of a peach, ever con- ed on fuch principles, would I reft very fider that it is a production of art. It is certain hopes of its complete and fucno new discovery, let Virgil tell the cefsful promulgation; and it is proper ftory: to remark, that its greatest enemy, the doctrine of neceflity, ftrictly fol lowed according to the tenor of the principles, would be highly favourable to the diffufion of innoculation, because, if mankind have an alloted number of days, nothing which we can do, can alter this decree, But various are the ways to change the ftate Of plants, to bud, to graff, t'innoculate. tree come; And thus the ruddy cornel bears the plume. The thin-leav'd arbute, hazle graffs fe The mastful beach, the briftly chefnut bears, And the white afh is white with blooming pears. d Greedy fwine from grafted elms are fed, With falling acorns that on oaks are bred. Now, fince it is true that all our finer fruits, and all thefe highly valued flowers, called double, are the offspring of human invention; here then, is an example of the powers of mankind over the living works of nature, far more wonderful than that of innoculation for the small-pox. 'There is a fingular fact refpecting that little vineyard which produces Conftantia at the Cape. Vines tranfplanted into its immediate vicinity, although they thrive well, yield no wine that is equal in degree to that which this far famed fpot produces. There is fome thing peculiar and unknown in the foil of the real Conftantia vineyard; there can no other cause exift. When the people ceafe to care for themfelves, it becometh the legislator to care for them. A kingdom is rich, only in the multitude of her fons. The fituation of our country, confirms the truth of this pofition, and of the Emperor Adrian's obfervation, that it is more important for an empire to be populous than to be rich;" Great Britain wants not money, but men. Of the number who are annually cut off by the fmall pox, how many might be faved to the ftate, and how many among the late levies, have actualy funk under its malignancy? One not corps two months regimented, afforded three victims to its fury. When regulations fhall have been enforced for fecuring cleanlinefs in our towns and villages, might it not be enacted, confonant to the principles of moral duty, that every parent who fhould refufe to innoculate his child, at the proper period, to be certified by the furgeon of the district, fhall incur a fine of L. 50 to be levied by confifcation of property, failing which, the perfon of the parent to be at the king's difpofal? But to conclude: if this reafon- Refpecting the evils which would ining against the falfe prejudices which obstruct innoculation be juft, on what motives then will the rejection of the operation be founded? The oppofi tionists may indeed contend," that human judgment, though it be gradually gaining upon credulity, will never be come infallible; and approbation, tho' long continued, may yet be only the deed certainly take place at the first ge neral innoculation, and refpecting the pains that would afterwards be required to keep the practice in conftant ufe, it is fufficient to obferve, that the mischief refulting from the firft, would difappear in five years, and that proper attention would infure the continuance of the other. A CONSTANT Keader, |