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1656 and All That
After
William of Normandy became king of England in 1066, the Conqueror felt
the English economy would benefit from the business skills of the
French Jews so he invited Jewish merchants and artisans from northern
France to settle in this country. Though well intended, William’s plan
went disastrously wrong in the years following.
In the Middle Ages it
was considered wrong for “Christians” to engage in “usury”, so money
lending became the only trade open to the sons of Israel. Money being
what it is, “the Jews” became the focus of hatred and suspicion.
Bizarre accusations were levelled at them including the charge that
they used the blood of Christians in the preparation of Passover
matzah. By 1290 they were of no further use to Edward I so he expelled
them from England.
For the next
three-and-a-half centuries, it was illegal for Jews to live in England.
But on 13th June 1656, one of the most remarkable turning points in
English history took place when Oliver Cromwell readmitted Jews to this
country. The significance of that event was noted by Charles Moore in
The Daily Telegraph of 17th June, “Exactly 350 years ago”, wrote Moore,
“we began to be a multi-racial society.”
Moore’s article
delineated the benefits that accrued to Britain as a result of 1656,
“Anyone who has ever studied at a university, needed good doctors,
shopped at Marks & Spencer or Tesco, benefited from scientific
invention, listened to classical music, sought accountants or lawyers,
watched a film, bought a book or needed his head examined, has gained
from Cromwell’s decision. The Jewish contribution is so great that it
pervades almost all aspects of British society.”
Unlike William the
Conqueror, Cromwell was well disposed to the Jewish people for more
than purely political or economic reasons. Cromwell was a Puritan and,
as such he was conscious of the importance of the Jewish people in the
purposes of God. His Puritan chaplain John Howe preached a series of
sermons on Ezekiel 39:29, “And I will not hide my face from them any
more: for I shall have poured out my Spirit on the house of Israel”. In
those sermons Howe stated his belief that there would come “a time of
far more general calling than there hath been hitherto; when the
receiving and gathering in of the Jews shall be as life from the dead”.
When that happened the Church and the world would be blessed as a
result.
England has benefited
from Cromwell blessing the children of Abraham. To this day English
Jews remember our “chief of men” with gratitude and affection, and some
Jewish parents still name their sons Oliver. However, few of Cromwell’s
Christian admirers have done much to endear themselves to the Jewish
collective heart. One could wish the Protestant church today was half
as knowledgeable about the Jewish contribution to our national life as
Charles Moore. If only the heirs of the Puritans were as astute
spiritually as Cromwell was politically, we Gentiles might succeed at
last in fulfilling our calling to “provoke Israel to jealousy”. When
that finally happens, not only will the Jews benefit but great blessing
will come back on the Church, as it is written, “I will bless those who
bless you.”
Mike Moore
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