A sermon preached at the christening of a certain Jew at LondonA sermon preached at the christening of a certaine Iew at London

But I will not adventure further upon this quavemire: the sink is deeper than can be in this place, or at this time scoured or launched. But sithence our present purpose is now to treat only of the conversion of the Jews: of the good success whereof, as there is no hope at all else then by purging and cleansing the filthy puddles of our superstitions, the unsavoury stench whereof the Jews can by no means digest: what remaineth for us to do (my dear brethren and honourable fathers in the Lord) but that every of us in our vocation, employ all our endeavour, faculty ⟨image 105⟩and power, that nothing may be committed amongst us, in our default from henceforth, whereby the true religion of Christ (which he gave most pure without spot or blemish) may be defiled, and brought into hatred and obloquy, and blasphemed amongst the Jews, Turks, Pagans, and unbelieving infidels. My meaning here tendeth not to the determining of controversies in sects, nor of doubtful controversies debated in schools: the censure whereof, I commit to the great masters, and doctors in divinity: Only my request at this time is, that those gross monuments of manifest idolatry, those fantastical devises and frivolous forgeries of signs and Images, and those stagelike gestures and pelting trumperies, frequented in Churches, as are the praying for the dead, worshipping of creatures & signs, forbidding priests marriages, & such like peevish absurdities (wherewith the Jews were never acquainted) which are manifestly repugnant to the […] word of God, yea and contrary to common reason almost, may be rooted out and vanished from Christian Churches and congregations: that so we may open an entry to the Jews and Turks, to conceive an inward ⟨image 106⟩desire to be joined to the son of God: or if we will not do this for the Jews sake, let us yet at the least have due regard to our own estate. We have been plagued sufficiently enough by the Turks and Saracens for our idolatry, if we respect the sundry overthrows, famines, slaughters, and alterations of kingdoms, wherewith the Christians have been miserably tormented many hundred years, to the great delight of the Jews:

But I wil not aduenture further vpō this quauemire: the sincke is deeper thē can be in this place, or at this time scowred or lanched. But sithence our present purpose is now to treate only of the conuersion of the Iewes: of the good successe whereof, as there is no hope at all els then by purging and cleansing the filthie puddles of our superstitions, the vnsauerie stenche whereof the Iewes can by no meanes disgest: what remayneth for vs to do (my deare brethren and honourable fathers in the Lord) but that euery of vs in our vocation, employe all our endeuour, facultie