AN EPISTLE OF AN HEBREW willing TO LEARN CHRISTIANITY: SENT by him to London: & thence, by the Archb. of Canterbury's advise, to Basil: thence returned vuiths some further speech upon it unto the Queen of England's most excellent majesty.  
BY HUGH BRUGHTON: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Rom. 9 4. 
PRINTED AT BASIL. BY CONRADUS WALDKIRCH 1598.   

TO THE MIGHTY PRINCE ELISABET BY TE GRACE. OF GOD Queen of England, France & Ireland, desendour of the faith, etc.  
FROM the seas of ELISA, sovereign lady, & from the city built by the son of the Bretan Helena, there came to your highness King doom, an epistle from a learned Hebrew, full of Eloquence, & rabbique skill: judged to contain sparks of matter, which with due nourishment might give occasion to kindle far off the light of the Gospel, winning such favour of migthy states that it might turn to the common good of Christendom. This jew seemeth by his epistle to be of great authority, not only among jews, which are in Constantina the chiefest of the world, that he carrying them after him, the rest over the east will sooner follow: but also with the greatest there: of whose affection nothing may be spoken, until it please himself to open his mind. He writeth in the tongue that was first used in the world: in which all the holy prophets books are written: and all divinity graduates must know, or bethought to see with other men's eyes: & by English universities they are bound to know: ne there may plead ignorance: but as they are highest in your majesties praeferment, so the care to answer toucheth them principally. His epistle penned with exquisite care showeth in his first entrance, skill putting all to the trial, either to overmatch Christianes' by judaisme, for all their grounds, if they grant his, & pass them over as not dashing all faith: or, if by modesty & dexterity he be taught, how both Talmudes wilfully disturb the Bible, that the Light of Christ should not shine to them being in Satan's darkness: he cannot by Learning longer resist: but by all Turks judgement, upon his own grounds of Scriptures authority, he shallbe utterly overthrown. After his beginning, he continueth sundry points in learned reverence: First commending, matters of England: next, requesting some petitiones of instruction. Our divinity is in his speech highly esteemed: as standing upon the clear power of God's hand: & removing weeds: such as I think he blameth in Greeks. For as the jews, so they, have overwhelmed all the Scripture, as with nettles: which being uncutdowne, the thrueth cannoth be seen. Then he thinketh that N. hath great occasion to rejoice for a great number that he hath brought on to the knowledged of God: from which help he also the jew himself stretched out his hand: & caught an Omer full: while he standeth behind the wall: looking through the lattice, & knocking at the gates of understanding. After this he slideth unto commendation of your highness Ligier, at the city of Constantine, for his great care to settle him in Christianity, And after this preparation he floweth most plentifully into your majesties commendation: that by your special tendering have divines so ready in the Golden candelstick of the Law for the generals to bring them unto few heads: & for the particulares, the bowls, Knoppes, & flowers. Others he commendeth, as may appear in his Epistle: and after, he cometh to his requests: wherein first he showeth a fervent desire, & most hearty affection to have N. sent to teach all the synagogues in Constantina, promising that he shallbe received as an Angel. But first he would have the sum of all the Scripture plentifully handled: & endeth his Epistle with à learned sonnet. This Letter was brought unto my lords grace, to croyden: where he should be best at leisure. But his grace seeing an English Endorcement, and saying that he could read no further, bade the bringers send it to me. Others also counted ready in the tongue of divinity, could or would say little to it. Here upon it returned towards the east, not with small hazard: yet▪ by Gods goodness, it came safe to me to Basil. I durst not return the Letter: being of so weighty importance, to abide new danger. But I printed an answer to my lords grace: showing the principal effect: thinking that his gr. would have sent for an whole copy or have written: that in this so weighty bysines, to do good to all the world, no shadow of negligence or delay should appear. But because that is not done, I have printed the whole Epistle unto your M. whom the care should chief touch: & will show, according to my leisure more than others had herein, my poor opinion of proceeding: if your highness give me leave. My care is the greater: for his G. dealings in as great matters about the Bible, Laboured in, ten whole years, upon your M. word: & crossed after all that labour, & charges of so great time, by his Grace's will & authority. I showed his G. how, upon Dan. 11. 38. unskilfulness, allowed by his skill, betrayed God's name, & whole religion, to Satan. Yet there, three Greek translationes, if they had been known in England, might have given light unto a sure truth: besides the most steadfast certainty of the Hebrew term: So Polychronius the Greek, might for all Daniel. Then his G. yielded: with high Promises. Since a new difference as great fell. That, this jew may end: whose Epistle followeth.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   
Thus your M. seethe the Epistle: desired of many sent to England: thence to Basil: of one made many: that all may see it. The awnswerer should be, my L. G. for learned fame & authority. A Greater cause his G. never dealt in: then to open all te bible, both Testaments in Hebrew. And if his G. knoweth nought in Hebrew: Greek will do as well, for Byzantium: and better for England: to calm waves blown of late, to the ruin of all religion, & learning, which this Epistle to the jew will quiet: & breed a windeless Cymatolegen. His G. knoweth who stirred a dissension: for the principal article of the Crede: for Christ his passion, weather his soul went from his body. The Greek tongue, in speech to this jew will cut off all controversy: as learned linguistes & the sure in Scripture grounds know that all was ever plain to the Simplest. The Evangelists told that Christ his soul should go presently from his body to his kingdom, to Paradise, to the hand of God; even through the veil of his flesh into heaven. This the Evangelists taught: and no one syllable in te Prophets ever taught otherwise. Now the prophets phrase of all souls departing this life is: a descending to Sheol, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in speech of full death among such as held the soul's immortality in an other world: with the body's death, they mentioned the soul's descent to scheol, & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Inferos, Hell So Homer V. 3. for thousands: so Demosthenes for 4000 slain at one fight by K. Philip. yet they held them to be in happy case: & with their Gods. So the Crede is penned by a phrase unwrestable: plain to all jews & Gentiles: till the Barbarous would Learn Divinity, as from Davus in the market, against religion & all Learning. This all his G. may cure safely by writing in Greek, where none may say that Christ descended to Gehennuo: & where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to him & all good, is Paradise. So his Grace's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, would win him Eternal fame. And I trust your M. will not appoint a meaner than his G. to this charge But, I must leave that, to your majesties wisdom. yet I hope, all in a case of so weighty importance, may do well, when occasion forceth them to deal, then to speak in humble care, somewhat touching te weight of learned business: wherein they have best occasion to see the right: and what should be done. Thus I wish your M. all good meditationes, and one that containeth all: how God sitteth on a fiery throne, & that all men must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there not Gehenna but paradise may be your blessed rest.  
your majesties most humble subject. HUGH BROUGHTON.