Tractatus de imposturis et ceremoniis Iudaeorum nostri temporis

to prove this. Isaac exploded this by demonstrating their sophistries with open reasoning. Furthermore, they gathered various passages of the New Testament into a volume which has been named Nizathon victory, which they abuse to refute our arguments, intending to kill us with our own sword, similar, of course, to Julian the Apostate, who plundered the Christians of their wealth because the Lord said the poor were blessed. For when Christ called his mother "woman," these erroneous spirits are not ashamed to assert that she was contaminated by a man. And elsewhere, when the Lord says that he came not to dissolve the law but to confirm and stabilize it, they reproach us for having departed from it. They impiously distort that grave complaint—when Christ complains in the height of his agonies and tortures that he was forsaken by God—to the point of denying his divinity. The book is full of these and similar monsters and portents, proposed for this end alone: to provide themselves with ample and copious material to mock us. For they are not unaware that many of us are so well-versed in the Scriptures that we do not find it difficult to dissolve these flaws and obscurities. I read a story recently which I shall not regret recounting. A Christian, conversing with a Jew, is asked if he will show himself to be a disciple obedient and submissive to his teacher. When he carelessly says yes, the Thalmudist objects: "Therefore, when your God has commanded that if someone breaks your right cheek, you should offer the left, will you accept this slap from me and at the same time offer the other cheek?" Disturbed by this insult, the Christian replied: "Since you seem so well-versed in the Scriptures, turn the page and pay attention to what Christ says there. For it is written: 'With whatever measure you have measured to others, it shall be measured to you again,'" and at the same time he struck the scoundrel to the ground with his fist. I think it would be to our benefit and use if their rashness and blasphemies were countered with such strong arguments, by which tears would be shaken from these scoundrels. For when the reputation of our parents, relatives, and friends is attacked by the wicked, we prove ourselves to be keen advocates and defenders (assuming we have been well and liberally educated), who would hesitate to undertake not only all kinds of contentions and defenses for the majesty of Christ—which should be dearer to us than life itself—when it is lacerated by the wicked in unworthy ways, but even, if need be, to pour out life itself?