History of the Jews, Vol. 4 (of 6)Graetz, Heinrich
History
History of the Jews, Vol. 4 (of 6)
Graetz, Heinrich
Jews -- History
A few of the new-Christians showed as active a zeal in the propagation
of Christianity as if they had been born Dominicans, or as if they felt
isolated in their new faith among the old Christians, and yearned for
the companionship of their former friends. A newly-baptized physician,
Astruc Raimuch, of Fraga, who, as a Jew, had been a pillar of
orthodoxy, exerted himself to make converts, taking to himself the name
of Francisco God-flesh (Dios-Carne). He spread his snares particularly
with a view to entrapping one of his young friends. A fluent writer of
Hebrew, Astruc-Francisco drew up a letter in that language, dwelling on
the decline of Judaism and enthusiastically propounding the dogmas of
Christianity. His applications of Biblical texts to the doctrines of
the Trinity, Original Sin, Redemption, and the Lord's Supper, appear
almost droll in Hebrew. His friend's answer was meek and evasive, every
word carefully weighed to avoid offending the delicate sensibilities
of the church and its zealous servants. More spirited was the reply
of the satirical poet, Solomon ben Reuben Bonfed, who in rhymed prose
set himself to confute Astruc-Francisco's arguments with unsparing
incisiveness. Apologizing in his introduction for interfering between
two friends, he proceeded to point out that as a Jew the questions
discussed concerned him nearly, whilst the misstatements made rendered
it impossible for him to remain silent. Solomon Bonfed examined
somewhat minutely the dogmas of the Incarnation, Original Sin, and
Transubstantiation, showing them to be irrational and untenable. He
justly said: "You twist and distort the Bible text to establish the
Trinity. Had you a Quaternity, you would demonstrate it quite as
strikingly and convincingly from the books of the Old Testament."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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