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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 July 2009
It is a matter of common knowledge that at the beginning of the Christian church the Christians were persecuted by the Jews. Later the Jews were persecuted by the Christians. Throughout the Middle Ages the hatred between the two increased. Finally the Jews were banished from England, Spain, France, and other states of Europe until they were allowed to dwell only in parts of Italy, Germany, and Poland. When the Reformation began, the Protestants were faced by many problems in their attempts to organize a purified church. One of these problems was whether Jews should be allowed to live among Christians. The first of the leading Reformers to deal systematically with this problem was Martin Bucer of Strasbourg.
1 The opinions on religious toleration and the treatment of the Jews stated in this paper are not presented as the opinions of the author.
2 Encyclopedia Britannica, 14th ed., XIII, 57.Google Scholar
3 Eells, H., Martin Bucer (New Haven, 1931), 119.Google Scholar
4 Ibid., 238–242.
5 Koehler, W., Hessische Kirchenverfassung im Zeitalter der Reformation (Giessen, 1894), 4–34.Google Scholar
6 Ibid., 34.
7 Bucer, M., Von den Juden (Strasbourg, 1539), Ai.Google Scholar
8 Koehler, , op. cit., 34–35Google Scholar; Bucer, , op. cit., A.Google Scholar
9 Bucer, M., Der CXX Psalm (Strasbourg, 1546), 2.Google Scholar
10 Glaser, A., Geschichte der Juden in Strassburg (1894), 26.Google Scholar
11 Bucer, , Von den Juden, Aii–Biii.Google Scholar
12 Ibid., Aii.
13 Ibid., Aiii, Bii.
14 Ibid., Aii, Bii.
15 Ibid., B–Bii.
16 Ibid., Aiii.
17 Ibid., Aiii–B.
18 Ibid., B–Biii.
19 Ibid., Biii.
20 Lenz, M., Briefwechsel Landgraf Philipp's des Grossmüthigen von Hessen mit Bucer (Leipzig, 1880 ff.), I, 57–58Google Scholar. The faet that the landgrave's letter is addressed to the magistrates of Cassei may indicate that the first proposals were made by the magistrates of that city as the basis for local regulations.
21 Ibid., 59–60.
22 Bucer, M., Von den Juden, see especially Ci–Ciii.Google Scholar
23 Ibid., Ciii.
24 Ibid., Cii.
25 Ibid., Ciii–D. Bucer had taken this same attitude in his commentaries; namely, that since the Jews did not have the same spirit as Abraham, they could claim nothing through their spiritual descent as a race from him. In his commentaries Bucer was interested only in the Jew's relation to God's plan of salvation, not in their status iu the world of his day (see especially Bucer, M., Enarrationes Perpetuae, in sacra quatuor evangelia … Enarratio Martini Buceri in Evangelion secundum Iohannem, Strasbourg, 1530, p. 60 C).Google Scholar
26 Bucer, M., Von den Juden, Diii.Google Scholar
27 Ibid. Dii.
28 Ibid., Diii. In 1543 Luther published a book entitled Von den Juden und ihren Lűgen (D. Martin Luthers Werke, Weimar, 1920, LIII, 412–552)Google Scholar in which he discussed at length all the aspects of the controversies between Jews and Christians and provided his followers with a store of arguments to use against the Jews. He condemned the Jews unreservedly. In two brief passages he dealt with the question whether Jews should be allowed by the state to live among Christians, and, if so, under what circumstances. His answer to this question may be summarized in the following statements. No attempt should be inade to convert the Jews, because such an effort would be certain to fail. Their synagogues and schools should be burned. All their sacred books should be taken away, including the Bible. Their rabbis should be forbidden to teach under pain of death. The state should not provide them with any protection and they should be made to stay at home. Not only should usury be forbidden them, but their gold and silver should also be taken away and used for poor relief. The young people ought to be taught toilsome crafts so that they would earn their bread in “the sweat of their brow.” Even the worship of God and the right to speak His name should be forbidden them in order to avoid blasphemy. After suggesting these regulations for the treatment of the Jews Luther concluded that such regulations would be a mistake and that the only satisfactory solution of the problem was to exile the Jews forever (see especially, Luther, , Von den Juden, Weimar ed., LIII, 419, 522–526, 536–537)Google Scholar. Nowhere in the book did Luther mention Bucer's program for the Jews or refer to the Strasbourg reformer. Luther differs from Bucer in that he offers no workable scheme by which Jews might have a place in the social order of a Christian state.
