The Virginia Gazette

BARBADOS, August 30.

The following PETITION, sign'd by a considerable Number of Merchants and other Inhabitants of this Island, was presented, August the 24th, to his Honour the PRESIDENT.

To the Honourable James Dortin, Esq; President of His Majesty's Council, and Commander in Chief, of this and all other His Majesty's Caribbee Islands, lying and being to Windward of Guadaloupe.

The Petition of the Merchants and other Inhabitants of Barbados,

That divers People of the Hebrew Nation, by Virtue of Patents of Denization from His present Majesty and his Royal Predecessors, Kings and Queens of Great-Britain, have been enabled to traffick in his Majesty's Colonies, and have had the Protection and Benefit arising therefrom;
in Common with His Majesty's Liege born Subjects of these Realms.

That these People called Jews now dispersed over the Face of the Earth, no less odious for their Contempt of those Divine Laws communicated to them by Moses, than for that horrid Act in Crucifying the Author of our Redemption, the Messiah, whom they vainly look'd for to restore them to their Temporal Kingdom, have, in none of His Majesty's Colonies, obtained such a Footing, nor arriv'd to so much Power and Riches, as in this Island.

That under the Umbrage of those enfranchis'd Jews, great Numbers of Aliens, Runagadoes from the Spanish, Portugueze, and Dutch Colonies, have crept into this Island; and many Years ago, built themselves a Synagogue, where they were indulg'd with a Reader, and the free Exercise of their Religion, and liv'd quietly among themselves: Nor did they give Offence to the Government, or the Christian Inhabitants. But their Pride and Ambition, increasing with their Wealth and Numbers, they got into Party Disputes amongst themselves; and one Half of them contrary to the Inclination of the other, introduc'd one Abraham Gabe Trerdro, a Runagado, distinguish'd amongst them by the Degree of a Rabbi, who was, tho' turn'd out of Surinam, for his rigid severe Discipline, in excommunicating some of the Jewish Residents there, for not complying with his modern Tenets, and in a clandestine deceitful Manner, the Rabbinites of this Island, obtained your Honour's Permission for his residing here during Pleasure ; and he hath not only often since publickly preach'd and expounded the Jewish Laws and Ceremonies ; but hath also formed an Academy, or higher School, for improving their Youth in the Doctrines and obscure Points of the Talmud, and their Oral Law,

whereby great Numbers of Jews from Foreign Parts are invited here for Instruction; and Bridge-Town, the Capital of Barbados, is now become a Seminary of Jews.

It would be too tedious to enumerate the several Tenets of the Jewish Rabbins and Doctors from their own Books, particularly their Babylonian Talmud; Tenets destructive to Human Society, and most dangerous to Christianity ; in themselves blasphemous, and derogatory to the Divine Attributes: But by their Oral Law, or certain Tenets, traditionally or successively delivered and transmitted down to Posterity, which they politically avoid being reduc'd into Writing.

They are not only prohibited, as your Petitioners are informed, from giving Aid or Assistance of any Nature to Christians, but it is even reckon'd amongst them a meritorious Act, by whatsoever Way or Means, to destroy a Christian Body, Member, Life, or Estate; so far have they degenerated in their Principles and Morals from the Divine Laws delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai, that they are become not only the Laughing Stock of the Heathens, whose Golden Rule it is, to do as they would be done by ; but they have render'd themselves obnoxious to Christian Government and the Laws of Nations: And were it not for the Stroke or Punishment that attends the Perpetration of their wicked Principles, Christians, whilft intermixt with them, would have no Security for their Lives or Estates.

That our Forefathers being well apprized of those Judaical Tenets, and wisely considering the common Oath taken on the Five Books of Moses, could be no Restraint on their Consciences, or force from them the Truth, when call'd upon to give Evidence in Courts of Judicatory, did therefore compose an Oath, whereby they swore, by the Name of ADONAI, God of their Fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and by the Ten Commandments, which bore with it great Reverence; and your Petitioners are informed they take it amongst themselves, when they give their Testimony in private Controversies of their own: And tho this Oath was put upon Record in the several Courts of Judicature in this Island, yet has it become obsolete, and even lately rejected, when insisted upon to be taken by them in a Court of Justice.

That your Petitioners humbly conceive, 'twould be impertinent to trouble your Honour, so conversant in our Misfortunes, with a Detail of the Causes of the gradual Decay of Trade in the Island, or the Decrease of its Christian Inhabitants : But your Petitioners most humbly crave your Attention to a few Points wherein they apprehend themselves very much aggrieved, and which they are advised is in your Honour's Power to redress.

That heretofore, while the Jews were Servants to the Christians, or Retailers of their Goods only, Trade flourish'd, and Christian People were induced to come here as the Mart of Trade; but by the Increase of the Jews, who have ever been able to under-sell all others, the Christians have been obliged to leave this Island, and betake themselves to some other Colony where the Jews had no Footing. And your Petitioners crave Leave to assign the Reasons that occur to them, why the Jews are thus able to under-sell the Christians.

1st. For that as the Jews are restrain'd by no Principle of Conscience from buying and receiving Goods stolen from Christians, but on the contrary think it meritorious to defraud and rob them, so are they artful enough in dealing with Negroes, whose Evidence they know to be of no Force to bring them to condign Punishment; by which Means, they sell to the Inhabitants for one Shilling, what perhaps a Christian Shop-keeper could not afford to sell for two; and by the Familiarity and Correspondence they contract with the Slaves that carry away the Goods, they plunder the Purchaser of ten Times the Value : And of this your Petitioners doubt not to give many Instances, if required.
Jews. For that long Experience tells us that no one sets up in Business, but he confesses a Judgment to some trusty Friend of his own Nation, to be kept as a Reserve, and to be put upon Record when Necessity requires it, to protect his Effects in case of an Elopement from his Christian Creditors; who are great Sufferers by such Practices, as may be seen daily in our Courts of Judicature: Nor is it possible to detect the Fraud, while the Jews are sworn in the usual Way, on the Five Books of Moses, so much vitiated, nay altogether defaced by their Talmudists, which is held by them in the utmost Contempt, especially when bound up and in Company with the Holy Evangelists, which they so much ridicule.

3dly. For that the Christian Merchants and Shopkeepers, as well in Honour to the Government, as to keep up and be conformable to the British Fashions and Customs, are at more Expence in their Families, Education of their Children, and Equipage, than the Jews, who are naturally covetous and niggardly. Frugality is indeed highly commendable; but no less is Avarice detestable.

That your Petitioners can afford many other Reasons, why the Jews increase in Number and Riches, and the Christians daily decrease; but lest they should encroach too much on your Honour's Patience, they will conclude with a few late Instances of the Insolence of the Jews towards the Christians: Such as,

1st. One of the Rabbinites, who was instrumental in introducing their Teacher here, and was at great Expence in fitting him out, and allows him a large Yearly Pension, had the Assurance to contest, before your Honour in Council, his Proportion of the Publick Tax assess'd by the Vestry of St. Martin's Parish. Thus they plead Poverty, when their Quota is demanded for the Service of the Publick; but when they are to support the Dignity of their Rabbi, their Coffers are laid open to his Service.

2dly. The Jews confiding in their Numbers, do now daily attack, assault, and beat the Christians; whereas formerly, while less in Number, they behav'd with Humility. Nor are your Petitioners at a Loss for many Instances of this Nature, and particularly of their daring Insolence to a Stranger here; a Gentleman of a distinguish'd Family, sprung from that great Prelate to whom we owe the History of the Reformation, and who, it is well known, distinguish'd himself in bringing about the Revolution, and afterwards in establishing the present Royal Family on the Throne of these Realms, whereon depend the Safety of our Lives and Properties. But as that Gentleman is taking his Remedy at Law, your Petitioners will not so far interfere, as to anticipate or obstruct the due Course of Justice.

That your Petitioners humbly conceive they have given Instances sufficient to convince your Honour that the Practices of the Jews are agreeable to their Tenets herebefore taken Notice of. And inasmuch, as the War with Spain is again renewed, and that it is dangerous to the Community to have Aliens harboured among us, especially in those whom we can have no Confidence, your Petitioners most humbly pray your Honour to order some judicious Person or Persons, such as your Honour shall think proper, to call before him or them the People of the Hebrew Nation, called Jews, residing in this Island, who are to bring with them the Patents of Denization, or other Proofs of their being natural born Subjects of Great-Britain; to the End, the enfranchised Jews may be separated from the Aliens; and, that the latter, when distinguish'd, may be dealt with according to Law. And if Need be, that you will recommend to the Consideration of the Members of His Majesty's Council and the General Assembly of this Island, the other Grievances herein before set forth; so that a Law may be made for the further Security of the Christians from the great Increase of the Jews, and for preventing them from dealing with Negroes. And that your Honour will grant your Petitioners such other Relief, as the Nature of their Case doth require.

And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.

* An Impostor, who has the Impudence to call himself Burnet.